Advertisement

Almost a quarter of Interior Health overdoses reported in Vernon

Global Okanagan files

Interior Health has released an overdose surveillance summary compiled using emergency department reports.

The summary covers incidents between June 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2017.

During that time, there were 1,331 overdoses reported to the Medical Health Officer in the region.

READ MORE:  Battling the overdose crisis in the Okanagan

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

Twenty-eight per cent of those overdoses, or 371, were reported in Kelowna, and 24 per cent, or 316, were reported in Vernon.

In comparason, the population of Greater Vernon was 58,584 as of the Canada 2011 Census, while the population of the Central Okanagan was 179,839.

Penticton had 178 reported overdoses, or 14 per cent of the total.

Sixty-five per cent of overdose victims were men.

Story continues below advertisement

The B.C. Coroners service reports that 83 per cent of overdose deaths reported in 2017 were fentanyl related.

 

 

Sponsored content

AdChoices