Paramedics responded to record number of overdose calls in Williams Lake

BC Emergency Health Services says paramedics responded to 352 overdose poisoning calls in the Cariboo last year.

That total includes a record number of 162 in Williams Lake, which was up from 117 in 2021.

Quesnel paramedics responded to 160 calls, which was up slightly from 157 in 2021, but still nowhere near the record 210 recorded in 2020.

And 100 Mile House paramedics had 30 calls for overdose poisoning last year, down from 31.

Northern Health topped all health authorities in terms of the biggest increase in 2022.

Calls were up by 17 percent to 2,838.

Province-wide, there were 33,654 responses to potential overdoses which was down by 5 percent from 2021.