Vernon saw an increase in overdose and drug poisoning calls last year.

According to BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) data, there were a total of 513 overdose and drug poisoning calls in Vernon in 2022.

That’s a 12 per cent increase from 2021, when there were 457 calls in Vernon.

The data shows an upward trend in overdose and drug poisoning calls in Vernon since 2019. In that year there were 247 calls, compared to 316 in 2020. There were 170 calls in 2016, 322 in 2017 and 285 in 2018.

Randene Wejr, executive director of Turning Points Collaborative Soceity, says this year’s numbers for Vernon are not surprising.

“We definitely know that the overdoses are increasing, and that’s really to do with the toxic drug supply,” she told The Morning Star. “So what we can do about it is find more ways to get safe supply into people’s hands.”

Elsewhere in the North Okanagan, there were 13 calls in Armstrong in 2022, an increase of 62.5 per cent over 2021.

There were 18 calls in Coldstream, the second highest total since 2018 after the 20 calls recorded in 2021.

Enderby had 21 calls last year, a decrease of 22 per cent from 2021.

Lumby saw just seven calls in 2022, a 50 per cent decrease from the year previous.

The biggest number in the Okanagan belongs to Kelowna, which had 1,824 calls in 2022 — a 15 per cent increase over 2021.

In total, B.C. had 33,654 calls for overdoses and drug poisonings in 2022. That’s a five per cent decrease compared to the previous year.

2021’s total of 35,585 calls was the biggest spike in recent years — a 31 per cent increase over the previous year.

READ MORE: Interior Health issues alert after multiple drug poisonings in Cranbrook

READ MORE: The two sides of decriminalizing drug possession

North Okanagan Regional Districtoverdoseoverdose crisisstreet drugsVernon