Naloxone no match for some new drugs

Health officials are worried death toll could climb again

New types of fentanyl compounds resistant to the antidote used to treat overdoses mean B.C.’s fentanyl-fuelled death toll could keep climbing.

There are more than 40 fentanyl analogs being manufactured, including some that render the typical dose of naloxone ineffective, said B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

One of the compounds, acrylfentanyl, was the subject of a recent Drug Enforcement Administration warning after it surfaced in some parts of the U.S.

“Acrylfentanyl hangs around longer, and you may need more naloxone to reverse the effects of that compared to fentanyl,” said Kendall, adding the synthetic compound also appears to linger longer in the body.

Kendall said authorities do not know whether acrylfentanyl is in B.C., although health officials plan to conduct specific tests in the near future to determine which analogs are showing up on the street.

The presence of two other analogs — carfentanil and furanyl fentanyl — has already been confirmed in B.C.

Carfentanil is 100 times more toxic than fentanyl and is often used as an animal tranquillizer, while furanyl fentanyl is 20 times more potent than morphine and is often marketed as a designer drug.

Tests to detect which analog someone may have used is timeconsuming and pointless because supply is unregulated, said Kendall. “We have a toxic drug supply, and we have no way of knowing in a timely fashion what’s in it and no way to test drugs to know what they are taking.”

He warned people to use drugs in the presence of a sober person and to have naloxone handy.

Vancouver recorded 41 suspected overdose deaths in April, the second highest month this year. Only January, with 47 suspected overdose fatalities, was deadlier.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue received 688 overdose calls in April, the highest in 2017. The busiest day was April 26 when 130 overdose calls came in, the most in a single day ever recorded.

In 2016, 914 people died of an illicit drug overdose in B.C.