Interior Health Authority this afternoon (Oct. 19) issued a drug advisory covering the Kootenays.

Down has been increasingly found to contain high amounts of fentanyl/fentanyl analogues and medetomidine, as well as many types of benzodiazepines.

Medetomidine can slow both breathing and heart rate, making overdoses more complex and prolonged. It can also have serious effects on the heart.

The combination of fentanyl/fentanyl analogues, medetomidine and benzodiazepines can lead to significant sedation. Sedation may last beyond administration of naloxone.

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