Overdose alert – “Benzos” contaminating street drugs

Kling says people who have overdosed using drugs contaminated with benzos may be difficult to rouse, may remain unconscious and slow to respond to naloxone.

Director Patient Care Delivery for Northern Districts Deb Trumbley with BC Emergency Health Services, says in Prince George in particular the existence of benzos has coincided with an increase in calls for service, noting they were up almost 60 per cent in 2020, to 999.

She says it’s a trend she’s seeing across the region, including in smaller communities like Houston, Quesnel, Smithers and Burns Lake.

“There’s been a real change, an increase in the toxicity of the drug supply. We knew that the pandemic was going to limit and change the drug supply coming into Canada and into B.C. in particular and so we were anticipating this.

“Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke to it at the beginning of the pandemic as we were dealing with two public health crises at the same time and I think that’s what we’re seeing.”

Trumbley says one thing that has helped is the Lifeguard App, which was launched last spring and says has saved tens of thousands of lives.

The app is activated by the user before they take their dose. After 50 seconds the app will sound an alarm. If the user doesn’t hit a button to stop the alarm, indicating they are fine, the alarm grows louder. After 75 seconds a text-to-voice call will go straight to 9-1-1, alerting emergency medical dispatchers of a potential overdose.

Kling is a proponent of the app as well, but says it doesn’t work in some smaller, rural communities because of internet connectivity issues.

by Greg Fry

Overdose alert – “Benzos” contaminating street drugs

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