
Interior Health issues region-wide drug advisory for toxic, synthetic opioid
Interior Health has issued a drug advisory warning of a toxic drug circulating within its boundaries.
According to a release from the health authority Monday, an increase in the detection of carfentanil, a synthetic opioid approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, has been noted in Down (opioid) samples over the past month.
Alongside the carfentanil, the samples also frequently contained benzodiazepines and tranquilizers, the health authority said. The combination of opioids with these substances amplify the effects of the drugs and significantly heightens the risk of overdose and death.
The health authority said if drugs are going to be used they should be checked first, regardless of how they are administered. Checking sites are available to be viewed online.
Interior Health covers a large area in B.C. and spans 59 incorporated municipalities, stretching from the U.S. border in the south to Williams Lake in the north, and from Lytton in the west to the Alberta border in the east.
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