After recent testing showed traces of fentanyl found in urine from people who had reported using only heroin or smoking marijuana, the Middlesex-London Health Unit has issued an alert.
According to the alert, which was issued jointly with the Canadian Mental Health Association and Addiction Services Thames Valley as well as the London Police, the results of the urine drug screening (UDS), were made this week at the Addiction Services Thames Valley Suboxone Center.
– Advertisement –1. shocking Tutorial about drug-mixing:
“When people are using illicit drugs, it is impossible to know exactly what they are ingesting,” stated Dr. Chris Mackie (MLHU medical officer in health).
Fentanyl is 50-100 times lethaler than morphine. Even small amounts can prove fatal if ingested.
Dr. Ken Lee from the Suboxone Clinic stated that these findings indicate dealers are adding Fentanyl to other drugs.
There is currently no way to detect fentanyl from other drugs. Overdose is a real risk. The alert advises that drug users use a Naloxone Kit.
John Pare, London Police Chief, said that illegal drugs and non-prescribed medications can cause death.
– Advertisement –“The London Police Service is aware that drug addiction and abuse are unfortunate realities, but strongly discourages anyone from inhaling any illicit substances,” he stated. “Users do not have the ability to determine what they are eating and often the results are devastating.”
2. London Health Unit research:
These findings were made in the midst of a national opioid crisis. According to data from several provincial agencies, fentanyl is responsible for many deaths in Canada this year. __S.17__
The alert also comes after a city council voted to establish an Opioid Working Group. This group will be responsible for reviewing London’s response to the opioid crisis and making recommendations.
According to the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network’s report, fentanyl’s impact on opioid-related deaths rose by 548% between 2006 and 2015. It is now the leading cause of fatal overdoses in this powerful class of painkillers.
