Drug users advised to get Naloxone kits: Health minister

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – BC’s Health minister is advising you to go and get a Naloxone kit if you use any kind of unregulated drug, including pot. Police haven’t confirmed marijuana laced with fentanyl, but Terry Lake says there’s anecdotal evidence.

According to Terry Lake fentanyl is so wide-spread in our province that it’s prudent to get a kit even if the only drug you use is marijuana. “I think anyone using any kind of unregulated drug should consider the use of a Naloxone kit, having it available. In the province of British Columbia where we’re seeing such an epidemic, a crisis that is affecting family after family, we need to use every tool available and Naloxone should be considered first aid in the province of British Columbia today.”

The kits are available without a prescription at any pharmacy. The cost is covered in some cases and Lake says the ministry is watching to make sure people aren’t being overcharged.

Lake says he doesn’t want to cause any sort of hysteria, but he says paramedics and police have anecdotally advised government they believe there have been instances where pot has been laced with fentanyl. “When police and paramedics tell you this is what they’re seeing, if you didn’t react of course, we would be accused of putting our heads in the sand. This is about knowledge and anyone using any kind of unregulated drugs should arm themselves with knowledge and the tools needed to counteract any adverse reaction… without trying to overly-alarm people, it’s prudent to make sure people are aware we’re seeing it in places we never thought we would see it.”

Premier Christy Clark told reporters in Ottawa yesterday Vancouver Police had a confirmed seizure of pot laced with fentanyl, but as we told you first, VPD say that’s not the case.

RCMP have also say no confirmed fentanyl-laced pot has been found in the province. Mounties say they’ve seen overdoses involving people who claim to have only smoked marijuana, but they’ve yet to confirm marijuana laced with fentanyl through chemical analysis.

Masset RCMP advised earlier this month they had reason to believe marijuana laced with fentanyl was being sold in the area, but the determination was based on reports from the community.

The BC Coroners Service has seen instances where both pot and fentanyl are in a overdosed person’s system. But it’s impossible to know if fentanyl was actually on pot found in someone’s system or if the drugs were taken separately.

Public Safety Minister Mike Morris doesn’t believe warning about fentanyl in marijuana. “This is a very, very serious issue and I don’t think it’s alarmist at all to make sure that people are vigilant and watch for this. Hopefully we won’t see that happen and the one out of Masset I’m sure is getting tested in the labs and it will be a while before we see the results from that, but if it is the case, we’ve got a more serious problem on our hands than what I’d hoped to see.”