POLICE WARN OF BAD BATCH OF HEROIN CIRCULATING IN OKANAGAN

Police are warning drug users about a potentially bad batch of heroin
after two women nearly died of overdoses over the weekend.

Both Friday and Sunday nights, RCMP were called to deal with women who
appeared to be intoxicated on the streets of downtown Kelowna. "Upon
arrival, the subjects were cooperative but were very jittery and they
were fumbling around quite a bit," said Const. Steve Holmes.

The women were both initially taken to RCMP cells, but their
conditions deteriorated rapidly, with them suffering symptoms such as
rapidly increasing core body temperature, profuse sweating, flailing
wildly and being unable to control sounds coming from their mouths.

The women were taken to hospital by ambulance and were eventually
stabilized.

"Both were able to survive their ordeals but it is believed by medical
staff had more time gone on, that they may not have survived," said
Holmes.

Both women were frequent drug users, although for one woman, it was
the first time she reported she had used heroin.

Police aren't exactly sure what caused the two women to react so badly
to the heroin, but they're getting the word out to drug users in an
attempt to warn them.

"As a result of these two situations, and we hope this is the only
two, police are advising drug users in the area to be very, very
careful with the use of heroin," said Holmes.