Ottawa Police are confirming that drugs seized over the summer contained fentanyl and carfentanil.
The drugs were seized on July 31 and August 1, 2017 and were believed to be heroin. Samples were submitted to Health Canada for analysis. Confirmation came Wednesday, showing the presence of carfentanil in one sample and a combination of fentanyl and carfentanil in the second sample. No heroin was detected in either sample.
This is the first confirmed case of carfentanil being found in illegal drugs in Ottawa.
"The reality is that there is no reliable way for the user or a peer to confirm what drug is actually being ingested," Staff Sergeant Rick Carey, of the Ottawa Police Drug Unit, said in a statement.
Carfentanil is an opioid used as a tranquilizer for large animals, like elephants, and is never meant for human consumption. It is considered to be 100 times more toxic than fentanyl and 10,000 times more toxic than morphine. Even very small amounts can be deadly. Like fentanyl, you cannot smell, see, or taste if carfentanil is mixed with other drugs.
You can find more information about these opioids by clicking here.
For more information on where to access naloxone user's training programs, call the Drug and Alcohol Helpline at 1-800-565-8603 or visit http://www.drugandalcoholhelpline.ca/