US Edition‘Grossly exceeded’: Fentanyl in air at Vancouver supportive housing offices
GREATER VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, JUL 21 – Testing at 14 supportive housing sites found airborne fentanyl levels exceeding safety limits in offices, prompting a provincial working group to improve protection for staff and tenants.
- On July 21, 2025, Sauve Safety Services assessment at the Osborn facility on West Hastings Street found occupational fentanyl exposures that grossly exceeded applicable regulatory limits, indicating significant risk.
- In June, the province formed a working group, drawing on results from air quality tests at 14 British Columbia facilities that revealed elevated fentanyl levels.
- Analysis of air samples showed `it's actually very similar to smog pollution and can give people pretty significant irritation, coughing`, with Dr. Ryan Marino warning of health risks.
- The ministry affirmed, and the B.C. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs said it takes concerns about possible worker exposure seriously, impacting safety protocols at Vancouver supportive housing facilities.
- On July 3, Mayor Ken Sim announced five potential city-owned sites for new supportive housing, while Vancouver City Council explores alternatives to three existing sites in the Granville Entertainment District under a new revitalization plan.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Fentanyl Smoke Poses ‘Substantial' Exposure Risk to Staff in BC Supportive Housing: Report
Supportive housing staff in some areas of B.C. are facing “substantial exposure” to secondhand fentanyl smoke, according to a new report. The findings are based on an evaluation done by Sauve Safety Services on behalf of B.C.’s Housing Ministry and were conducted at 14 supportive housing locations in Vancouver and Victoria. The report concluded that some staff at these locations face levels of secondhand fentanyl smoke that “grossly exceeded app…
There is So Much Fentanyl Use at Supportive Housing Facilities in British Columbia That "Second-Hand Fentanyl" Has Become a Legitimate Concern
CTV News – The presence of second-hand fentanyl smoke is so severe at some British Columbia supportive housing facilities that workers cannot escape “substantial exposure,” even if they stay in their ...
‘Grossly exceeded’: Fentanyl in air at Vancouver supportive housing offices
The presence of second-hand fentanyl smoke is so severe at some British Columbia supportive housing facilities that workers cannot escape “substantial exposure,” even if they stay in their offices and don’t venture into hallways or tenants rooms.
Airborne fentanyl at some B.C. supportive housing sites a risk to workers, says report
The report conducted for B.C. Housing found second-hand fentanyl smoke "grossly exceeded" workplace regulatory limits in some facilities. A medical toxicologist says the smoke is "similar to smog pollution" and can significantly irritate a person's airways.
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