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Drug alert and overdose alerts
DRUG AND OVERDOSE ALERTS WINNIPEG: January 20, 2023
Cases of severe overdose presenting to hospital (HSC) reporting using meth — week of Jan.16, 2023
Reports indicate the substance was sold as “meth” and brought about sudden loss of consciousness and quick, severe problems breathing. No information is currently available confirming the components of the substances involved. People were responsive to naloxone.
If you use drugs:
Call 911 (or your local emergency response number) if you witness or experience an overdose. The Good Samaritan Overdose Protection Act will protect those involved from drug possession charges or breach of probation/pretrial release charges.
• Get naloxone and overdose training before using – bring a friend
• Be aware that benzodiazepines don’t respond to naloxone.
• Do not use drugs alone or behind a locked door. Have a designated responder: Stagger use with friends so someone can respond/call 911 if needed.
• If you are using alone consider calling the National Overdose Prevention Hotline at 1−888−688−6677, where you will be connected to a safe consumption volunteer who stays on the line for 15 – 30 minutes while you use the substance.
• Use a less direct route when you take drugs. Injecting a drug is the most direct and dangerous route.
• If you mix drugs, reduce the amount of each drug you take and use opioids before benzos or alcohol. Use the most unpredictable drug first.
• Use one drug at a time, test your drugs every time by doing a smaller than usual test amount first.
• Wait before taking another dose – some drugs take longer to take effect
• The amount of naloxone in a take-home kit may not be enough to reverse very powerful overdoses, such as those caused by fentanyl-like drugs.
• If you inject do not share any injection equipment (needles, cookers, filters, rinse). Sterile drug use supplies are available from many places.
For community agencies:
The Safer Bathrooms Toolkit provides resources to assess and respond to the potential risk of drug toxicity events within facility bathrooms.
DRUG AND OVERDOSE ALERTS WINNIPEG: December 19, 2022
Street drugs tested for fentanyl and benzodiazepines in Winnipeg
A sample of a substance sold as “unknown” that looked like a small orange pebble in Winnipeg was tested by Get Your Drugs Tested services. This sample was dated on December 7, 2022. It was tested by FTIR spectrometer technology, which found to have a combination of erythritol 65 – 70%, and fentanyl 30 – 35%. It was positive for fentanyl and/or fentanyl analogues on the fentanyl test strip. It was negative for benzodiazepines on the benzo test strip. However, it is suspected that this sample contains etizolam, a benzo drug class that does not trigger the benzo test strips.
Fentanyl is a very toxic opioid drug that can result in overdose causing respiratory depression, unconsciousness and death.
Etizolam is a thienodiazepine which is similar to the benzodiazepine drug class. It has effects that depress the central nervous system, these include sedation and skeletal muscular relaxation. Etizolam is strong at low doses.
Benzos causes respiratory depression and sedation and may cause a person to lose consciousness. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone does not work on it.
This sample contains more than the average amount of fentanyl tested by this service in Vancouver and in combination with possible etizolam, there is a higher risk for a complex overdose. If possible, consider starting with a small tester dose, not using alone and carrying naloxone.
The combination of these two substances can increase harms.
DRUG AND OVERDOSE ALERTS WINNIPEG: October 25, 2022
Community agencies in central Winnipeg report occurrence of fatal drug toxicity events Oct 21 and 22, 2022 and a spike in harms related to drug toxicity over the same time frame.
Reports indicate the substance was sold as “meth” and brought about unexpected loss of consciousness and quick, severe impairment of respiratory function. No information is currently available confirming the components of the substances involved.
DRUG AND OVERDOSE ALERTS WINNIPEG: October 12, 2022
Street drugs in Winnipeg of concern and novel substances: Para-Fluorofentanyl and Isotonitazine.
A brown powder/grainy substance seized in Winnipeg in September 2022. Health Canada Drug Analysis Services has confirmed the product to contain Para-Fluorofentanyl, Fentanyl, a benzodiazepine named etizolam, caffeine, and diphenhydramine
Counterfeit Oxycodone tablets: blue, round, “PERCOCET 5” on one side, scored on reverse were seized in Winnipeg in August 2022. Health Canada Drug Analysis Services has confirmed the product to contain a benzimidazole opioid, namely Isotonitazene.
Isotonitazene is a synthetic opioid drug, considered to be approximately 500 times more toxic than morphine.
Fentanyl is a very toxic opioid drug (approximately 50 – 100 times more toxic than morphine) that can result in overdose causing respiratory depression, unconsciousness and death.
Para-fluorofentanyl is a synthetic opioid related to fentanyl. There is little information available on the strength of this drug related to fentanyl, but it has been associated with increased opioid toxicity in North America.
Benzodiazepine (benzos) causes respiratory depression and sedation and may cause a person to lose consciousness. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone does not work on it. Benzodiazepines can be more dangerous when combined with opioids.
Health Canada’s Drug Analysis Service (DAS) test illegal drugs seized by Canadian law enforcement agencies. For more information on drugs analyzed by DAS, see Analyzed Drug Report — Drug Analysis Service | Public Health Infobase — Public Health Agency of Canada
October 6, 2021
Street drugs tested for fentanyl and benzodiazepines in Winnipeg
A sample of a substances sold as “unknown” that looked like a orange chunk in Winnipeg was tested by Get Your Drug Tested services. This sample, tested by FTIR spectrometer technology, was found to have a combination of Erythritol 75 – 80% (a sugar-based filler), Caffeine 15 – 20%, Fentanyl 5 – 10% This sample also tested positive for Benzodiazepines by test strip.
Fentanyl is a very toxic opioid drug that can result in overdose causing respiratory depression, unconsciousness and death.
Benzodiazepine (benzos) causes respiratory depression and sedation and may cause a person to lose consciousness. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone does not work on it.
The combination of these two substances can increase harms.
October 6, 2021
Street drugs tested for fentanyl and benzodiazepines in Winnipeg
A sample of a substances sold as “unknown” that looked like green granules in Winnipeg was tested by Get Your Drug Tested services. This sample, tested by FTIR spectrometer technology, was found to have a combination of Dimethyl Sulfone 60 – 65% (a filler), uncertain oil 20 – 25%, Fentanyl 15 – 20%, an uncertain match likely to be a fentanyl analogue 5 – 10%. This sample also tested positive for Benzodiazepines by test strip.
Fentanyl is a very toxic opioid drug that can result in overdose causing respiratory depression, unconsciousness and death.
Benzodiazepine (benzos) causes respiratory depression and sedation and may cause a person to lose consciousness. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone does not work on it.
The combination of these two substances can increase harms.
August 17, 2022
Street drugs tested for fentanyl and novel non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer “Xylazine” in Winnipeg, Manitoba
A sample of a street drug that appeared as a powder and grainy substance was confiscated in Winnipeg Manitoba, and tested in July 2022 by Health Canada - Drug Analysis Service. The sample tested positive for fentanyl and Xylazine. This is the first report of Xylazine in this jurisdiction by Health Canada - Drug Analysis Service.
Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service (DAS) test illegal drugs seized by Canadian law enforcement agencies. For more information on drugs analyzed by DAS, see Analyzed Drug Report - Drug Analysis Service | Public Health Infobase - Public Health Agency of Canada
Fentanyl is a very toxic opioid drug that can result in overdose causing respiratory depression, unconsciousness and death.
Xylazine is a tranquilizer that can cause drowsiness and sedation, slow breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to dangerously low level, and may cause the person to lose consciousness. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone does not work on it.
The combination of these two substances can increase harms.
August 8, 2022
Street drugs tested for fentanyl and novel benzodiazepine “Bromazolam” in Brandon and Winnipeg, Manitoba
A sample of a street drug that appeared as a beige powder was confiscated in Brandon Manitoba and tested by Health Canada - Drug Analysis Service. The sample tested positive for fentanyl and Bromazolam in June 2022. A sample of grainy substance from Winnipeg tested in July also contained Bromazolam. These are the first reports of Bromazolam in these jurisdictions by Health Canada - Drug Analysis Service.
Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service (DAS) test illegal drugs seized by Canadian law enforcement agencies. For more information on drugs tested by DAS, see Analyzed Drug Report - Drug Analysis Service | Public Health Infobase - Public Health Agency of Canada
Fentanyl is a very toxic opioid drug that can result in overdose causing respiratory depression, unconsciousness and death.
Bromazolam is a benzodiazepine (benzo) which causes respiratory depression and sedation and may cause a person to lose consciousness. Because it is not an opioid, naloxone does not work on it.
The combination of these two substances can increase harms.
April 28, 2022
Winnipeg - Main Street Project reports that three overdoses occurred on their premises on April 27th, 2022. One other community agency reports a spike in suspected overdose on the same date.
In all three situations at Main Street Project, staff located the community member and were able to reverse the suspected overdose with naloxone. No information is available about the specific substance used or description of same, however it is believed that all three situations resulted from an injected substance. In at least one instance, the overdose occurred after the community member injected a “hot shot”, whereby the substance was acquired pre-mixed in a syringe.
If you use drugs:
Call 911 (or your local emergency response number) if you witness or experience an overdose. The Good Samaritan Overdose Protection Act will protect those involved from drug possession charges or breach of probation/pre-trial release charges.
- Get naloxone and overdose training before using – bring a friend
- Be aware that benzodiazepines don’t respond to naloxone.
- Do not use drugs alone or behind a locked door. Have a designated responder: Stagger use with friends so someone can respond/call 911 if needed.
- If you are using alone consider calling the National Overdose Prevention Hotline at 1−888−688−6677, where you will be connected to a safe consumption volunteer who stays on the line for 15 – 30 minutes while you use the substance.
- Use a less direct route when you take drugs. Injecting a drug is the most direct and dangerous route.
- If you mix drugs, reduce the amount of each drug you take and use opioids before benzos or alcohol. Use the most unpredictable drug first.
- Use one drug at a time, test your drugs every time by doing a smaller than usual test amount first.
- Wait before taking another dose – some drugs take longer to take effect
- The amount of naloxone in a take-home kit may not be enough to reverse very powerful overdoses, such as those caused by fentanyl-like drugs.
- If you inject do not share any injection equipment (needles, cookers, filters, rinse). Sterile drug use supplies are available from many places.