The suspected overdose death of a 43-year-old Penticton woman Monday at the Black Forest Motel was just another in what is believed to be the growing, fentanyl-related epidemic locally.

It was one of at least two overdoses that day. The second was in the early evening at a Government Street residence. However the male victim survived after being given two doses of the opiate antidote Narcan and taken to Penticton Regional Hospital.

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鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing more than usual. I can鈥檛 say for sure but I鈥檇 say we鈥檝e had 13 overdoses and one death (Monday) in the last two weeks,鈥� said Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth of the Penticton RCMP. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see in a week or a month what we normally see in a year, in fact it鈥檚 daily, it鈥檚 a huge 辫谤辞产濒别尘.鈥�

In the case of the death, while the exact cause is not known, the woman reportedly showed signs of extensive intravenous drug use.

Police officers along with other emergency first responders now carry Narcan kits which can be administered and possibly reverse the overdose.

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Similar problems related to fentanyl are being reported in many other cities and government agencies are currently looking at ways to combat the problem.

鈥淗ealth authorities are doing what they can, police are doing what we can, but the problem is there are still people who have addictions and it controls them,鈥� said Wrigglesworth. 鈥淭here are drugs out there that are super powerful and people are dying.鈥�