Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, has released the following statement on the holiday season:
Medetomidine is a non-opioid drug with effects similar to xylazine. It is up to 200 times stronger than xylazine.
Northern Health has issued a Toxic Drug Alert for Fort St. John. A pink chunk sold as “down” has been linked to sudden overdoses requiring hospitalization. Overdoses occur when the substance is smoked. Use caution when using substance through any route.
When you think about soap, the last thing you'd expect is for it to pose a health risk. Yet, Health Canada recently issued a recall notice for certain Castelbel liquid soaps sold in Canada due to a chance that a bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, had contaminated the soap.
Multiple samples in different colors and textures, containing several Fentanyl Analogs (including Carfentanil), Benzodiazepines, Veterinary Tranquilizers (Tranq), and Nitazenes (a group of potent opioids), were tested throughout the Fraser Health region.
White powder (potentially in clear gel caps) sold as Mescaline tested as O-PCE instead. Dosing and effects are significantly different.
Interior Heath is issuing two drug alerts for Williams Lake which are associated with drug overdoses.
As health and wellness partners with First Nations people in BC, the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) is advising hunters, gatherers, and anyone else who handles game, to safeguard themselves against avian influenza (aka bird flu or H5N1), which is currently a public health issue across Canada and the United States.
Northern Health has issued a Toxic Drug Alert for Prince George. A red chunk sold as “down” tested positive for carfentanil and high levels of bromazolam and has been linked to overdoses.
