Vancouver – The BC Centre for Disease Control’s (BCCDC) Harm Reduction and Substance Use Services Team is warning the public of a recent increase in drug poisonings across BC. Novel substances in the unregulated drug supply are putting people who use substances at greater risk province-wide.
Opioids like fentanyl are now often mixed with medetomidine, a potent sedative used primarily by veterinarians, that can cause low heart rate (bradycardia), changes to blood pressure and prolonged sedation. It can also potentially make people feel very sleepy or go unconscious, increasing the risk of drug poisoning. As a response, BCCDC has issued a province-wide drug alert
BC has experienced high and increasing paramedic-attended overdoses in recent months. At the same time, detections of medetomidine have increased in drug checking samples and law enforcement seizures. Medetomidine was detected in 38 per cent of opioid samples tested by the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) in November 2025.
Recently:
***Drug Alert – Vancouver – January 26, 2026***
VCH has issued a drug alert. NOTE Vancouver alerts always lead to cases in the Fraser Valley supply.
White triangular pressed tablet with imprint “D|D” sold as hydromorphone (Dilaudid or “dilly 8”) in Vancouver tested positive for fentanyl and negative for hydromorphone.
