Drug alert issued throughout the South Okanagan

MERRITT – A drug alert has been issued throughout the South Okanagan region.

Interior Health (IH) said substances like a bright green large think chunk sample and grey samples of small chunks is being sold as Down, Dope, or Fentanyl but it also may contain Xylazine and Bromazolam.

Officials said there is a high risk of fatal overdoses, with other side effects including amnesia, sleepiness, and nodding out for a long time.

According to IH, an overdose of these substances may not respond to naloxone and smoking is not safer than injecting.

Some safety tips IH released include:

• Start with a small amount
• Get your drugs tested
• Never use alone
• Don’t mix drugs and alcohol
• Carry naloxone

The drug alert is in effect until Thursday, April 27.