228873
225777
Kelowna  

Interior Health urges drug testing amid overdose spike

IH urges drug testing

Interior Health is urging illicit drug users to have their drugs checked before using after multiple drug poisoning events in the region.

A regional drug alert remains in place following five deaths from toxic drugs in Kelowna and West Kelowna on Sept. 24.

"From the Interior Health perspective, we are concerned about increased overdose deaths in the Central Okanagan. But not only in Central Okanagan, we have indications of increased deaths across other parts of British Columbia as well," said Dr. Silvina Mema, medical health officer, on Monday.

The health authority took days to issue their own alert following the RCMP, Mema says the deaths suggest something could be circulating in the community that could be more lethal than usual and now they are urging people to have their drugs checked before using.

Interior Health expanded drug checking services in response to the toxic drug crisis and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy instruments are now available in Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, Kamloops, Merritt, Cranbrook, Nelson, and Trail. The FTIR instruments use infrared light and can reliably detect the composition of drugs by comparing them with an extensive library of substances.

A news release from Interior Health states, "the service is fast, free, confidential and most importantly it is the only way for people to know what is in their drugs as the illicit supply continues to be tainted and unpredictable."

Since 2019, illicit fentanyl and its analogues were involved in more than 85 % of illicit drug toxicity deaths and in 2021 alone 375 people in the Interior Health region died due to drug toxicity. That number has dropped slightly in 2022 but so far 250 people have died of toxic drug poisoning in the Interior Health region between Jan. 1 – Aug. 31.

In addition to FTIR testing, take home fentanyl test strips are now available in more than 72 locations throughout the region.

"Drug checking is legal at these approved sites. Whether someone is planning to experiment with drugs for the first time, rely on the illicit supply for pain relief, or use drugs on a regular basis and purchase from a familiar source, they are strongly encouraged to drop off a sample beforehand for testing. The technicians who provide the service are non-judgmental, and regardless of the results, drugs will not be confiscated and can be returned to you," Interior Health news release.

Samples can be as small as a grain of rice, and results are typically available within 10 minutes.



More Kelowna News

233021
230594
RECENT STORIES
Castanet Classifieds

227287


226105


228921
227490


Kamloops SPCA Featured Pet

Astro
Astro Kamloops SPCA >






Recent Trending
Castanet Proud Member of RTNDA Canada
233351