Interior Health has issued a drug advisory for the entire region after Xylazine was found in drug samples in Cranbrook and Kelowna.
IH officials said Xylazine isn’t prevalent in B.C.’s drug supply, but the alert is being issued region-wide given the geographic difference and the timing of both samples.
They said it could be circulating in other local drug supply chains.
Xylazine is a veterinary drug that isn’t approved for human consumption.
IH officials said it’s a sedative that can have severe delayed side effects.
Using the drug increases the chance of overdoses, long blackouts, comas, or death.
According to Interior Health, Naloxone won’t work on Xylazine but should still be used in case any opioids are present.
The recent samples also contained caffeine, erythritol, fentanyl and benzodiazepine.