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Fentanyl rears ugly head in valley
Fentanyl played a role in Columbia Valley RCMP officersâ days March 10 and 11, as the dangerous synthetic opiate analgesic was a root cause of some problems at the Invermere & District Hospital and in a rural area.
On March 10, Emergency Services requested police assistance for a report of an overdose at a rural residence. In this instance thanks to the attending BC Ambulance members, the subject was brought back to consciousness and was taken to the Invermere & District Hospital for observation, reported Cpl. Brent Ayers of Columbia Valley RCMP.
Police were later requested to assist the hospital as a result of a heavily sedated patient having disappeared outside and the subject was at risk. This was a different subject and unrelated to the first, but Fentanyl was involved, Ayers said. The subject was located and brought back to the hospital.
On March 11, Columbia Valley RCMP was advised that a patient at the Invermere & District Hospital had been stealing medication/drugs throughout the day and stashing them in their jacket in an attempt to hide from staff. Police attended and this subject was dealt with. The subject was unrelated to the above and was attempting to detox. Fentanyl was again a root cause, Ayers stated.
As per an Information Bulletin released by Interior Health, dated February 29, and passed along by Donna Power of Columbia Valley Victim Services: âAccording to BC Coroner s Service statistics there has been a gradual increase in opioid related overdose deaths over the last 24 months across B.C., including communities within the Interior Health. In addition, community agencies continue to receive reports about individuals experiencing fatal and non-fatal overdoses.â
Get Naloxone Trained: If you or someone you know is at risk of opioid overdose, the âTake Home Naloxone programâ trains participants to recognize and respond to an overdose situation using a Naloxone kit.
âAddiction is tough, become informed. Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment personnel care for the communities and people we serve. We can only help if we are made aware and have the information. Every life has great potential; it would be tragic to lose a life if we could have prevented it,â Ayers said.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine. Like heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, fentanyl works by binding to the body’s opiate receptors, highly concentrated in areas of the brain that control pain and emotions.
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