Vernon overdoses highlight challenge of reaching drug users in small communities

The Interior Health Authority says it has no current plans for an overdose prevention site or mobile service in Vernon, B.C. despite a growing number of overdoses.

Drug overdoses claimed 13 lives in Vernon last year, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. That's in addition to another 108 non-fatal overdoses reported at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.

Just last week, two people overdosed in the washroom at the Vernon library. Staff called 911 and both individuals survived.

"It's a very serious issue and it's hard on our staff to deal with these things," said Stephanie Hall, the CEO of the Okanagan Regional Library.

"Our staff is rattled. They are very caring, they care about the individuals who are going through this ... but they also want to make sure we have a safe library and that was a big threat," said Hall.

In response to the overdoses, the library has stepped up security patrols at the building and is considering carrying naloxone on site.

"We're seeing a massive increase in the level of overdoses in Vernon," said Kelly Fehr, director of operations for the John Howard Society of the North Okanagan. 

He said local shelters are also seeing more overdoses and his organization has reached out to local politicians to ask for more funding to treat addictions.

"I think it's important that we seriously consider increasing funding or at least strategies for residential addictions recovery."

Resources going to Kelowna and Kamloops

Despite Vernon's increasing overdose numbers, most Interior Health resources are currently going to Kelowna and Kamloops. Both cities already have overdose prevention sites with plans for mobile supervised injection clinics.

"That's not to say that couldn't happen in other locations in the Interior, but we are focusing our resources where the most deaths are occurring," said Dr. Silvina Mema, a chief medical health officer with Interior Health.

"That's not to say that the deaths that occur somewhere else are less important, but we need to start somewhere."

Mema says finding the users is an obstacle to treating drug addictions in smaller communities.

'The users are more dispersed'

"In smaller communities the users are more dispersed, are not as concentrated as in a large city, so it's harder to provide service in that sense."

While overdose prevention sites in small communities are not a priority at the moment, Mema said Interior Health is considering it as a possibility if the drug crisis worsens.

In the meantime, multiple harm reduction workers in Vernon are trained on how to use naloxone. 

Click here to find a full list of health centres in the interior offering take-home naloxone kits.