Fentanyl safety conference educates first responders

A two-day conference teaching Okanagan first responders about the dangers of fentanyl began Monday in Kelowna.

The conference includes information sessions from medical and law enforcement professionals about how to stay safe when working around potentially fentanyl-laced drugs.

Fentanyl is an extremely strong opioid frequently found in fake pharmaceutical pills made and sold illegally.

Sergeant Eric Boechler with the Vancouver RCMP explained how even trace amounts of fentanyl can be harmful to first responders who are exposed.

“It’s not the fentanyl that kills you, it’s the respiratory depression. So basically you stop breathing,” Boechler said. “It’s really about making sure those first responders don’t have a level of unmanageable fear. They have respect for this, but they’re still able to do their job.”

Dr. Erik Vu with Vancouver Coastal Health works with fentanyl as a pain management drug in the emergency room.

“Because it is such a popular drug to get street drugs with, we’re seeing disastrous consequences with people who don’t know how to deal with it properly,” Vu said. “So many of our users are overdosing because they don’t know what’s inside their drugs.”

The conference also touches on the proper use of Naloxone, a drug which reverses opioid overdoses temporarily. All RCMP officers in B.C. carry a nasal spray version of the life-saving drug.