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By Shaun Penner
benzodiazepines

Northreach warning, monitoring for benzo-laced drug supply in Grande Prairie

Jan 21, 2021 | 12:25 PM

The team at the Northreach Society in Grande Prairie is closely monitoring clients of the supervised consumption site (SCS), following an overdose alert issued by Northern Health in British Columbia over a street drug mix which slows the responsiveness of naloxone, the medication used to block the effects of opioids and help reverse overdoses.

The batch of narcotics was tested by health officials in northern B.C., which has been found to contain benzodiazepines. The narcotic, more commonly known as benzos, is a “downer” drug which significantly slows the users heart rate, breathing, and brain activity.

When mixed with opioids such as fentanyl, it inhibits naloxone’s ability to help reverse the effects of an overdose.

“When somebody is experiencing an opiate overdose, they’re given naloxone and (if) they are still in that same unconscious or unresponsive state, that probably means that there is benzos in the drug, and that they are going to need more medical attention to help reverse that overdose,” said Community Based Health and STBBI Program Manager for Northreach Lindsay Loset.

Loset says she and the rest of her team have been monitoring this batch of drugs since early this month, when Interior Health in southern B.C. issued an alert of the drug mix.

Now that Northern Health has confirmed the tainted drug supply to be in northern part of the province, Loset says she believes the mix has been circulating in Grande Prairie, as teams at the SCS are seeing a rise in overdose events occurring over the last week.

“However, we don’t have the capacity or the capability to fully test the drugs that people are taking when they are on the (SCS) bus, so it’s only suspected there are benzodiazepines in the drugs that people are taking.”

This belief has only been heightened by an increase in the need to EMS services at the site over recent days.

“There has been an increase in EMS calls after responding to overdoses, because people have that lower level of consciousness, and naloxone doesn’t get them out of it.”

The alert comes following the year 2020 which has, so far, proved to be one of the deadliest years in Alberta from opioid overdoses.

A total of 904 Albertans died as a result of an overdose between January and October, the most up-to-date figures provided by Alberta Health.

In Grande Prairie, 22 people died over that same time frame from opioids.

Loset reminds users in the city to be extremely careful and to never use drugs alone. She also says users should always have a trained professional or someone with the capabilities to administer naloxone in the event of an overdose, or to call 911.

She also points to the National Overdose Response Service as a virtual way of having that supervision.

“It connects you to a virtual overdose response coordinator, and they stay on the phone with you while you use,” said Loset. “If you become unresponsive, then they would call 911.”

The service can be reached at 1-888-688-6677.

by Shaun Penner