A look inside Kelowna's new overdose prevention site

We're now getting an inside look at one of B.C.'s new overdose prevention sites which aims to combat the province's growing drug overdose crisis.

Earlier this month, B.C. Health Minister Terry Lakepassed a ministerial order allowing local health authorities to create overdose prevention sites and provide emergency services where necessary.

Since that announcement, sites have opened in Kelowna, Kamloops, Surrey,Vancouver and Victoria.

"So, we don't have direct lines of sight into the area where people are usingbut we would be able to hopefully recognize if somebody was having an imminent reaction," saidJohn Yarschenko, ahealth service administrator for mental health and substance use with Interior Health.

He said while nurses and paramedics won't be supervising drug users directly, they will be nearby to administer the antidote naloxone in the event of an overdose.

The downtownKelowna site opened on Friday. Here is a look inside: