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Health officials urge Okanagan drug users to abstain after spike in overdose deaths

Health officials urge Okanagan drug users to abstain after spike in overdose deaths

The number of drug overdose deaths in the Okanagan this year is on pace to double last year's numbers, according to the Interior Health Authority.

In the first four months of 2017 the region has seen 50 overdose deaths, compared with 76 deaths in 2016.

The majority of people who died were residing in private homes, said Medical Health Officer Dr. Silvina Mema.

"People like your next door neighbour. People who have a home or at least can afford a home have overdosed and died," she said.

Health officials say they struggle to reach users to provide harm reduction services and address the stigma drug users feel, according to Mema.

"People are not able to openly talk about [their drug use] and that makes it a very difficult situation to deal with," Mema said.

Street drugs are often contaminated with extremely strong opioids like fentanyl or carfentanil.

"All it takes is one contaminated puff or snort and someone will overdose and die," said Mema.

Interior Health has introduced harm reduction strategies like handing out naloxone kits and opening overdose prevention sites, but that hasn't slowed the rate of opioid deaths.

Mema suggests the decriminalization of opioids could help with the crisis, along with providing safe drugs and enabling users to test their drugs, but says those solutions are a long way off.

'Abstain'

"This is not a good time to be using drugs. So for people who can abstain — don't use drugs," Mema said.

If people can't stop taking drugs, Interior Health recommends users adhere to harm reduction strategies such as not taking drugs alone, carrying a naloxone kit and not mixing different drugs.

With files from CBC Radio's Radio West