'Extreme' levels of fentanyl and benzodiazepines found in drug samples in B.C. Interior

B.C.'s Interior Health Authority issued a toxic drug alert for the entire region Wednesday due to "extreme" levels of fentanyl and benzodiazepines in drugs being tested.

According to the alert, some supplies contained levels of fentanyl that were 45 per cent higher than average and levels of etizolam, which is a type of benzodiazepine, that were 23 per cent higher than average.

It comes a week after B.C.'s chief coroner announced a record-breaking 2,224 people died of suspected illicit-drug overdoses in 2021 a 26 per cent increase over the previous year.

Dr. Carol Fenton, the medical health officer for Interior Health, said thesamples are comingfrom the drugs people are bringing todrug-testing sites to be checked and do not represent the full scope of illegal drugs in circulation.

"There is no quality control.There is no labelling system. When you buy drugs outside the legal system, there's no way to really know what you have," said Fenton in an interview with Chris Walker on CBC's Daybreak South.

Drugs to watch out for are those being sold as downersaccording to the warning issued by the health authority. Fenton said this term refers to nervous system depressants.

"They would be sometimes sold as heroin or fentanyl or just a generic down product," said Fenton.

Fentanyl is an opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine, she said.

"Even an amount the size of a grain of sand can cause an overdose. That's why it's so difficult for someone to dose themselves safely."

She said benzodiazepines, on the other hand, are sedatives that are sometimes prescribed for anxiety. While the effects of opioids such as fentanyl can be reversed with the fast-acting drug naloxone, benzodiazepines cannot.

Fenton said it is important to not use drugs alone, to alwaysstart with a small doseand get drugs tested before taking them. Fenton also recommends everyone, not just drug users, carry naloxone and know how to use it.

Amelia Martzke, the co-ordinatorof a drug checking program with ANKORS in Nelson, said she has noticed increased demand fortheir drug-related services, which include access to safe supply, drug checkingand overdose prevention.

"The vulnerable populations and the folks that we work with are experiencing a lot of challenges right now we really need options like more safer supply available."

Safe supply?

Fenton said stigma surrounding drug use has presented challenges to introducing widespread, government-regulated safe supply.

"We would need physicians willing to prescribe it and given the history of how opioid prescriptions have been enforced by the colleges as well as the stigma surrounding drug use it's very difficult," said Fenton.

Martzke said this stigma must be addressed first.

"People of all shapes and sizes and colours and backgrounds and income status use drugs that person that uses drugs could be your neighbouror your friendor your daughteror your dad."

Since late 2021, Interior Health has issued separate toxic drug alerts for Nelson, Penticton, Kelowna, Kamloopsand Merritt.

The current region-wide alert is in effect until Feb. 26, 2022.