Image Credit: Interior Health

By James Peters

Drug Alert

Substance being sold in Kamloops carries ‘extreme’ risk of overdose, death: Interior Health

Aug 20, 2025 | 1:54 PM

KAMLOOPS — Interior Health (IH) has issued an alert for increasingly toxic drugs being sold on the streets of Kamloops.

In its alert enacted Wednesday (Aug 20), IH says a brown, granular substance being sold as ‘Down’ or fentanyl has been found to contain carfentanil and fluorofentanyl.

Both are considered fentanyl analogues. While fluorofentanyl can be twice as potent as fentanyl, carfentanil can be 50-to-100 times stronger.

Anyone who uses this substance puts themselves at an ‘extreme risk’ of overdose or fatality, according to IH. Officials say smoking the substance is no safer than injecting it.

TWO & OUT

PETERS: Celebration from Iranian ex-pats speaks louder than our skepticism of Trump

Mar 06, 2026

LOOPED IN

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: March 5, 2026

Mar 05, 2026

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Supporting British Columbians through the Strategic Investment Fund

Mar 05, 2026

Those who have acquired a substance that looks like this are advised to have it tested before using, and to never use alone.

More information is available here.