Sedative mixed with opioids ‘everywhere’ during crisis
Overdose deaths up, fewer consumption site users during pandemic
KITCHENER — Opioids are being mixed with “benzos” leading users to pass out for hours, sometimes days and not knowing where they are or where they have been.
Since the pandemic began, workers at the downtown Kitchener’s consumption and treatment services site are seeing an increase of opioids such as fentanyl and heroin mixed with benzodiazepines, said Violet Umanetz, site supervisor at the CTS site on Duke Street West.
Commonly known as benzos, the sedative drug is often prescribed to treat anxiety and is referred to as Valium or Xanax.
“It’s everywhere, at the CTS site, in the community. It’s huge,” said Umanetz, who oversees the supervised consumption site and is also the director of harm reduction and overdose prevention with Sanguen Health Centre in Waterloo.
According to the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy, 34 people have died of suspected overdoses from January to the beginning of this month.
During the same time last year, 29 people died.
Grace Bermingham, manager of harm reduction for the Region of Waterloo Public Health, said although the numbers are up slightly, there are fluctuations throughout the year and the highs and lows depends on the drugs being used.
“What drives the overdose rate is the drug supply,” she said.
Two weeks ago, the Guelph Police put out a warning about potentially “strong substances” circulating in the community. In 36 hours, emergency responders were called out to numerous drug overdoses where three people died.
Police were warning users that
the drug may be stronger or “contain substances different than what you’re used to.”
Umanetz said the users coming to the Kitchener site often have benzodiazepines in their drug supply. It causes the user to appear heavily sedated.
Umanetz said workers are acting as “breathing coaches” reminding users to breath as they lay unconscious. They are often given oxygen in addition to naloxone.
“There is more monitoring and more time (spent with users),” she said. “We would never send someone into the community if it was unsafe.”
Users are also spending more time talking to support workers at the site and taking additional naloxone kits with them, she said.
“We are having a lot of conversations, asking users to try a smaller dose” and to come to the site when they are using for the first time, she said.
Umanetz attributes the use of benzos due to the shortage of the drug supply during the pandemic.
“When we see shortages, people will do what they need to do to provide sales,” she said.
She believes substance use is almost more important now because people are self-isolating while they cope with addictions.
“The demand for the substances won’t change,” she said.
Although the site is seeing fewer users — down by about 50 per cent in the past two months — the number of overdoses at the site is not decreasing.
But she isn’t surprised by the lower numbers. Harm reduction advocates say that was bound to happen when vulnerable populations were moved to shelters such as the A.R. Kaufman YMCA and the Radisson Hotel outside of the core.
Umanetz said it’s a challenge to get the vulnerable populations back to the core. They tend to use with friends elsewhere, she said.
Many of the services they accessed before COVID-19, such as meal programs, the library or city hall, are not open to them.
Since the pandemic began, Umanetz said they are receiving more calls from groups dealing with users and asking how to keep them safe.
“People are seeing drug use differently,” she said.
“Nobody wants to have a worker walk into a room and find someone overdosing.”