Northern Health is warning residents about an increase of contaminated street drugs in northern B.C.
The health authority has received information from a number of its partner agencies that there has been an increase in street drugs being contaminated with benzodiazepines, sometimes known as "benzos." Benzodiazepines is a depressant that slows down brain activity.
"When benzos are mixed with opioids there is a higher risk of overdose," a statement issued by Northern Health on Thursday said. "Individuals who have overdosed using drugs contaminated with benzos may be difficult to rouse and slow to respond to naloxone."
Northern Health urges illicit drug users to take to a doctor or nurse practitioner about accessing prescribed medications to reduce overdose risk and prevent withdrawal symptoms.
If you are going to use illicit drugs, don't use them alone. Keep multiple naloxone kits with you – some overdoses require three or more doses of naloxone – and make sure people around you know how to use them.
If you come across someone suffering from an apparent drug overdose call 911 immediately, administer naloxone (known by the brand name Narcan) if it is available, and administer CPR to open the person's airway and give rescue breaths.
