Natalie Mitchell / Staff reporter
The very toxic and lethal drug, Carfentanil has been found circulating Coquitlam in high concentrations. This drug has been found to be mixed in with other drugs such as heroin and the Government of British Columbia is trying to warn the public of the risk associated with taking this drug.
According to the B.C Government, the synthetic drug, Carfentanil was designed to be a narcotic for large animals like rhinos or elephants. The opioid is related to Fentanyl, a drug used for pain relief in small doses, that works like Morphine. However, Carfentanil has been found to be over 100 times more toxic than Fentanyl and over 10,000 times more toxic than Morphine.
The challenge with Carfentanil is the higher risk of overdose that happens when ingested. “It can look similar to a grain of salt” the B.C. government has warned, and “ingesting one or two grains can be fatal to humans.” To put it in perspective, just 2mg of Carfentanil is the standard dose to sedate an elephant, but that same amount is enough to kill around 50 people.
Carfentanil is being mixed into other illicit drugs like heroin, but it has also been made into the shape of pills to look like prescription pills. It has no smell, taste, it’s very hard to see and very lethal in a small dose. This makes it hard to know if one is ingesting it.
There are apps that are designed to prevent overdoses for people who are using alone. The BeSafe app allows for the person to have a supporter on call with them, who can help in the case they stop responding. The caller will be sent a notification to ask if they have overdosed. If they do not respond within a certain amount of time, their location will be sent to the supporter who can send help.
The medication Naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and is used by either an injection or a spray that goes in the nose. There are free Naloxone kits that can be found at most pharmacist offices such as Shoppers Drug Mart and the pharmacist can train on how it is used.
If there is a suspected overdose, call an ambulance and if Naloxone is handy, administer it through the nose. Below are some symptoms and signs of an overdose:
- Breathing will be stopped or slow
- Lips and nails are blue
- The person is not moving
- Person is choking
- Gurgling sounds or snoring
- Severe sleepiness
- Unconscious or unresponsive
- Skin feels cold and clammy.
Cites:
Pharmacies distribution of Naloxone
BC Government – Lethal drugs circulating
Global News – Carfentanil warnings
MB Government – Fentanyl overdoses