Carfentanil has killed more Albertans in five months than it did in all of last year
More Albertans died from drug overdoses involving the powerful synthetic opioid carfentanil in the first five months of the year than in all of 2016, according to new data from the province.
There were 34 overdose deaths in Alberta involving carfentanil in the first 20 weeks of 2017, compared with 32 identified by authorities last year.
Carfentanil, a potent sedative used by veterinarians to tranquillize large animals, is about 100 times more toxic than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
While the antidote naloxone can be used to reverse a carfentanil overdose, it has to be used in much larger amounts than are needed against fentanyl.
And carfentanil and other lethal fentanyl analogues will continue to be sold and consumed on Calgary streets because of their low cost and accessibility, police say.
“What does concern me is that the people that are trafficking in these drugs, that are (importing the raw materials) to create street drugs, quite often themselves don’t necessarily know what analogue of fentanyl is in it,” said Calgary police staff Sgt. Jason Walker, who sits on the province’s emergency opioid commission.
“The producers themselves are unwittingly making it far more deadly than they intended.”
The Calgary police have dispatched around 70 samples of suspected fentanyl or fentanyl analogues seized in various investigations to Health Canada labs for testing so far this year.
It can take months for the results to return, but so far labs have confirmed the presence of carfentanil in at least three samples. “And we’ve got dozens that we’re waiting to hear back on,” Walker said.
“We absolutely have seen carfentanil in Calgary and we know from investigations that Calgary has been a specific destination for international shipments of carfentanil,” Walker said.
While the number of deaths involving carfentanil in Alberta has increased, the overall number of fentanyl-related deaths could be stabilizing, according to Alberta Health’s latest interim report on the opioid crisis.
Fifty-six people died from apparent fentanyl-related drug overdoses in Alberta between April 2 and May 13.
In the previous six weeks, around 57 people died.
“The number of apparent drug overdose deaths related to fentanyl in 2017 continues to be significant, and the trend appears to be stabilizing based on the number
The producers themselves are unwittingly making it far more deadly than they intended.
of deaths in the previous six week period,” the province said in the latest report.
About 176 people in Alberta have died from fentanyl-related overdoses in 2017 so far — 77 of them in Calgary, which has the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in the province.
“We know the health sector alone cannot solve the opioid crisis,” Dr. Karen Grimsrud, chief medical officer of health, said in a statement to Postmedia.
“Through our new opioid emergency response commission, we are taking a comprehensive approach to address carfentanil and misuse of all opioids.
“This includes working with all partners, including law enforcement, health providers, community groups, and other public safety sectors.”