According to CBC, The Timmins Police Service (SPT) warns the public that carfentanil, a drug 10,000 times more powerful than morphine, was detected in drugs seized during a police operation last July.
The SPT Timmins Police Serviceand the Porcupine Health Unit recall that the dangers associated with drug use and particularly carfentanil designed to reassure large animals are not to be taken lightly.
An overdose can affect anyone. Sometimes it takes only one time for a tragic situation to happen , said Dr. Lianne Catton, Medical Officer of Health at the Porcupine Health Unit.
We encourage everyone to be able to identify an overdose and know how to react to save a life. Lianne Catton, Medical Officer of Health, Porcupine Health Unit
There is no way to detect the presence of carfentanil in illegal drugs, says Marie-France Caron-Bruneau, Harm Reduction Program Coordinator at the Porcupine Health Unit.
That's what's very disturbing , she says. Whether experimenting with drugs for the first time or being used to street drugs, the drugs could be mixed with [carfentanil].
She notes that the effects of an overdose are felt immediately.
It's like purring or snoring , she explains. The person can stop breathing. The lips and nails turn blue. The body is soft and you can not wake them up.
Naloxone kits, which can suspend overdose effects, are available at the Health Unit, pharmacies and several other partner organizations.