Interior Health is urging extreme caution for Kamloops and 麻豆精选 residents, following five overdoses in less than 10 hours in the Lower Mainland yesterday.
鈥淲hile not using drugs at all is the best way to avoid overdose and other health impacts, health care providers recognize some people will continue to use drugs,鈥 Interior Health said in a statement Saturday.
READ MORE: Abbotsford officials see spike in overdoses Halloween weekend
READ MORE: Health authority warns of overdose increase in Victoria
On Friday, Island Health also issued a warning after six people were rushed to hospital in a 24-hour period.
To reduce risk, drug users are being advised not to mix different drugs, not to take drugs alone and to take small test doses to gauge potency before taking their usual dose.
Drug users are also advised to keep an eye out for their friends, carry a naloxone kit and learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose: Slow or no breathing, gurgling or gasping, lips or fingertips turning blue and difficult to awaken.
If an overdose is suspected users are advised to call 911 immediately.
Fatal overdoses increasing at great rates in 麻豆精选
There were 60 OD deaths in 麻豆精选 from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, meaning the projected death toll for 2017 is 90. In 2016 47 died. Fentanyl has been detected in 90 per cent of these cases.
The illicit drug overdose death rate is higher in the 麻豆精选 Census Metropolitan Area 鈥攚hich includes everything from Lake Country to Peachland 鈥攖han it is in Vancouver.
READ MORE: Interior Health provides bleak situation of opioid crisis in 麻豆精选