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Drug Checking Holiday Hours

Posted on by Antoine

The holidays are a time when many come together to celebrate. For some, that might involve using alcohol, cannabis, or even illicit substances. In BC, using illicit drugs is riskier than ever. Getting your drugs checked can help you know what’s in them, so you can make safer choices. Do you know where you can check your drugs in the Interior?

Drug Checking will be available at all the following sites during the holidays:

Drug checking locations and hours:

Location Regular Drug Checking Hours  Days Holiday Hours When to Drop Off Samples Contact 
ANKORS East – Cranbrook

1324 2nd Street N

 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday Dec. 27, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Dec. 29, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Dec. 31 – Call ahead

 All ANKORS opening hours 250-919-9179
ANKORS West – Nelson

101 Baker St.

 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday Dec. 23, Noon – 6 p.m.

Dec. 27 & 28, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 30, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Closed Dec. 25, 26 & Jan. 1

 All ANKORS opening hours 236-972-7080
ASK Wellness – Kamloops

433 Tranquille Rd.

 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday Closed Dec. 25 & Jan. 1

Call ahead in case of service interruptions

 All ASK Wellness opening hours 250-299-7219
ASK Wellness – Penticton

594 Winnipeg St.

 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday & Thursday Closed Dec. 25 & Jan. 1 All ASK Wellness – Burdock House opening hours 250-328-9619
Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy – Vernon

Unit 100, 3605 31 St.

 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 12-4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday Closed Dec. 26 All Medicine Shoppe opening hours 778-212-8611
UBCO HaRT – Kelowna

3333 University Way

 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday Closed Dec. 26 All Living Positive Resource Centre hours 250-864-1431

Drug Checking Report for Interior Health – July 2023 – BCCSU

Posted on by Antoine

The BCCSU publishes Provincial and regional monthly reports that summarize drug checking results. Here is the July 2023 report from samples collected by Drug Checking Sites across the Interior Health region.

Key Findings

  • In June, a total of 565 drug checks were performed by services offering FTIR drug checking in the Interior Health region, the highest number of checks recorded in the region to date. This increase is primarily due to psychedelic samples tested at the Wicked Woods Music Festival in Fairmont Hot Springs.
  •  The percentage of all opioids testing positive for benzodiazepines by FTIR and test strip decreased from 88.8% to 80.0% in June(140 of 175 samples)
  • Benzodiazepines were found in concentrations high enough to be detected by FTIR in 15.0% of unregulated opioid samples checked (25 of 167 samples), with bromazolam most frequently detected (23 samples).
  • Fluorofentanyl detection surpassed fentanyl detection for the first time in June (99 vs. 35 unregulated opioid samples).
  • Drug checking is available in several communities across the Interior Health region. As of June, the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy has commenced services in Vernon at #100-3605 31st Street.

Find the full report here.

Drug Checking Report for Interior Health – August 2023 – BCCSU

Posted on by Antoine

The BCCSU publishes Provincial and regional monthly reports that summarize drug checking results. Here is the August 2023 report from samples collected by Drug Checking Sites across the Interior Health region.

Key Findings

In August, a total of 336 drug checks were performed by services offering FTIR drug checking in the Interior Health region. The number of psychedelic samples checked dropped significantly following the summer festival season.

The percentage of all opioids testing positive for benzodiazepines by FTIR and test strip was 72.8% in August (99 of 136samples), a slight decline from the previous months.

Benzodiazepines were found in concentrations high enough to be detected by FTIR in 18.5% of unregulated opioid samples checked (25 of 135 samples), with bromazolam most frequently detected (24 samples).

Fluorofentanyl was detected in 20.0% of unregulated samples (27 of 135 samples), whereas fentanyl was detected in 51.1% (69 samples).

Find the full report here.

Drug Checking Report for Interior Health – June 2023 – BCCSU

Posted on by Antoine

The BCCSU publishes Provincial and regional monthly reports that summarize drug checking results. Here is the June 2023 report from samples collected by Drug Checking Sites across the Interior Health region.

Key Findings

  • In June, a total of 565 drug checks were performed by services offering FTIR drug checking in the Interior Health region, the highest number of checks recorded in the region to date. This increase is primarily due to psychedelic samples tested at the Wicked Woods Music Festival in Fairmont Hot Springs.
  •  The percentage of all opioids testing positive for benzodiazepines by FTIR and test strip decreased from 88.8% to 80.0% in June(140 of 175 samples)
  • Benzodiazepines were found in concentrations high enough to be detected by FTIR in 15.0% of unregulated opioid samples checked (25 of 167 samples), with bromazolam most frequently detected (23 samples).
  • Fluorofentanyl detection surpassed fentanyl detection for the first time in June (99 vs. 35 unregulated opioid samples).
  • Drug checking is available in several communities across the Interior Health region. As of June, the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy has commenced services in Vernon at #100-3605 31st Street.

Find the full report here.

Drug Checking Report for Interior Health – May 2023 – BCCSU

Posted on by Antoine

The BCCSU publishes Provincial and regional monthly reports that summarize drug checking results. Here is the May 2023 report from samples collected by Drug Checking Sites across the Interior Health region.

Key Findings

  • In May, a total of 286 drug checks were performed by services offering FTIR drug checking in the Interior Health region.
  • The percentage of opioids testing positive for benzodiazepines increased from 73.6% to 88.8% in May (142 of 160 samples). Trends may be hard to infer due to the large geographic region.
  • Four drug alerts were issued by Interior Health, three pertaining to down samples that contained high concentrations of fentanyl and bromazolam. One alert concerned a methamphetamine sample that instead tested as fentanyl.

Find the full report here.

Nelson, Castlegar and Trail Drug Alert

Posted on by Antoine

Nelson, Castlegar and Trail Drug Alert

DOWN with high concentration of fluorofentanyl associated with multiple overdoses

Sold as Down, Fentanyl, Dope – Light green, blue and purple pebbles

Contains:

  • High concentration of fluorofentanyl.

    Positive for benzodiazepines.

Risk:

High risk of overdose, High risk of fatal overdose.

Mixing with alcohol can be especially dangerous.

Focus on breathing if naloxone appears to not resolve overdose symptoms.

Using in the cold increases chances of overdose.

Smoking is NOT safer than injecting. Take care when smoking drugs by using a little at a time and waiting a few minutes, as some effects can take longer to appear.

Overdose response:

Naloxone does not work on Benzos, BUT naloxone will work on the opioid overdose symptoms.  After giving breaths and naloxone, the person may begin breathing normally, but may not wake up. More doses of naloxone should only be given if the person is not breathing normally (less than 10 breaths a minute). If the person is breathing normally but remains unconscious, place in recovery position and stay with them until emergency services arrive.

No matter what or how you use (oral, smoking, snorting, injecting) take steps to prevent overdose

  • Know the risks when mixing drugs
  • If you must use while alone, consider using the Lifeguard app which can connect you with 911 emergency responders if you overdose. Download at the App Store or Google Play.   
  • When using your substance start with a small amount, and then go slow.
  • Use with others or at an Overdose Prevention or Supervised Consumption Site, if one is near you.
  • Know how to respond to an overdose – call 911, give rescue breaths and naloxone.

Here is a link to download a printable version of the Trail drug alert.

Here is a link to download a printable version of the Castlegar and Nelson drug alert.