Kelowna's illicit drug overdose death rate is now double that for those who die in car crashes.
In a report to Interior Health, Kelowna’s illicit overdose death rate is among the highest in the province - and as of June 30th, it's projected 2017 death rate was 73.2 per 100,000 people - higher than Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Between January and June this year, the city recorded 46 illicit drug overdose deaths, and health officials believe the number of deaths will double last year's.
Fentanyl has been detected in 90% of OD's in 2017.
Overdoses are also disproportionately affecting males, aged 30 to 49, and the Aboriginal population - and about 80% are occurring in private homes.
Interior Health says it's addressing the emergency by expanding access to Take Home Naloxone, implementing overdose prevention services and mobile supervised consumption sites, and increasing access to treatment for people at highest risk.