Vernon On Track For OD Prevention Site By Summer

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Twenty-four people died of illicit drug overdoses last year in Vernon, one more than the 23 in 2017.

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Overdose prevention sites provide designated spaces to monitor people who use drugs and ensure that Naloxone and other lifesaving first aid is available in the event of an overdose.

“Establishing an overdose prevention site in Vernon is an important addition to the continuum of health-care services for people with opioid use disorders,” says the release. “Other components include Opioid Agonist Treatments (such as methadone and Suboxone), intensive day and residential treatment programs, distribution of harm reduction supplies including Naloxone, and supportive recovery services.”

I-H says evidence shows the services save lives – no one has died in an overdose prevention site/supervised consumption service in BC, and reduce sharing of needles that cause HIV and hepatitis C, among other benefits.

There are currently more than 30 overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites operating in BC including in Kamloops and Kelowna, and an independently-operated site in Nelson.