Granby police warn of candy lookalike drugs in the area
The Granby Police Department, in collaboration with the Estrie Public Health department and the CIUSSS de l’estrie - CHUS, is warning the population about the existence of fake candies that contain drugs in the territory of Granby. These candies are visually similar to those from the Pez brand, but have been found to contain cocaine and benzodiazepine
More than 300 of the Pez-like candies were seized from two different addresses during a police operation in June of 2020, although a small quantity of the candies was also seized during an interception on the road in April. Following analysis by Health Canada the two were found to be the same illicit substance.
Analysis has revealed that the amount of cocaine and benzodiazepine may differ from candy to candy, making it impossible to determine the specific degree of danger to health as a result of ingestion.
Owing to the appearance of the candies, the police are warning parents to be vigilant in order to not confuse them with legitimate Pez.
The authorities also issued a warning to local drug users because of the uncertain quantities of drugs in each piece. Those who might purposefully take the drugs are encouraged to take only a small dose and wait to see its results before taking any more, to not use alone, and to inform others of the intent to use drugs and what they are. Anyone using drugs in a group contact is encouraged not to take the same doses at the same times to help make sure someone is ale to respond in the case of an overdose.
The police also published a list of signs of an overdose, including a lack of reaction to noise,
a lack of reaction to pain, and difficulty or lack of breathing
“Always carry a naloxone kit, an antidote for opioid overdoses,” said Simon Dancause, planning, programming and research officer with the public health department. “More than one kit may be needed. Naloxone is an easy-to-use drug that is effective in reversing respiratory distress resulting from an opioid overdose.”
A map indicating places where one can acquire Naloxone is available online at https://www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/ default/ files/ cartes/ naloxone/ index. html