Health minister warns about fentanyl overdoses in Kamloops today

KAMLOOPS – Provincial health minister Terry Lake is warning illicit drug users in Kamloops after four fentanyl related overdoses today.

“Our understanding is that two are being treated in hospital right now,” he says. “Two others were treated and released earlier.”

He says initially they thought it was six overdoses reported, April 21, but the number was lowered to four cases at the hospital. A Ministry of Health spokesperson clarified that B.C. Ambulance Services responded to six overdoses, but only four people went to hospital.

Lake says the health ministry was able to find out about the overdoses in real time thanks to the health emergency declared last week.

“This public health emergency declared by Dr. Perry Kendall gives (the hospital) the legal ability to share that information,” he says.

Lake says the ministry recommends people don’t take illicit drugs, but if they do the consequences can be serious and deadly. 

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