Pop-up overdose prevention site to open in Kelowna
Site to be run by group of citizen volunteers after permanent one cancelled over neighbourhood concerns
Another pop-up overdose prevention site run by volunteers will open to drug users in Kelowna this week as Interior Health continues to search for a permanent location.
Two overdose prevention sites were set to open in Kelowna in December, but the Rutland neighbourhood location was cancelled at the last minute due to concerns from neighbours and the building's landlord.
Concerned citizens created a pop-up location in Rutland on Boxing Day and plan to open a similar site Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.
"If you're doing drugs alone, especially the opiates, your brain tells your body not to breathe. What happens is you pass out and you can't help yourself and you pass away," said Chad Smith, part of the volunteer group that will run the site.
"We need to be there to give them naloxone. We then can revive them, call 911 and get help right away."
Volunteers trained to give naloxone
Smith doesn't have any medical background or experience in dealing with drug overdoses, but he believes it is his duty as a citizen to do something.
"It's part of being a community member and volunteer."
"Interior Health is looking for that permanent site. They totally thought they had everything set up. They unfortunately got their location pulled, but the need is still there."
Interior Health has trained Smith and about twenty other volunteers on how to administer naloxone to someone in the midst of an overdose.
'I'd rather this be done in a nice, safe, supervised way'
Smith hopes community members will welcome and accept the temporary location.
"What happens is everyone loves the idea of the site. They want the site to happen, but it's the whole 'not in my backyard' thing."
"But I'd rather this be done in a nice safe, supervised way instead of needles being left around that kids can find or have someone just fall and die in front of a business."
The pop-up site will be in the parking lot next to Rutland Centennial Park at Roxby Road and Shepherd Road from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
With files from Daybreak South.