Toxic street drugs growing concern
StreetWorks Harm Reduction says it reversed 50 overdoses last month
A poisoned drug supply causing a rise in suspected overdoses in Ontario has Niagara outreach workers concerned. Hamilton paramedics responded to 20 suspected drug poisonings between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, equivalent to a third of cases in the city for all of January.
In only four days last week, Peterborough had nearly 20 drug poisonings that resulted in emergency calls and visits.
Belleville, hardest hit, had 13 suspected overdoses in the matter of one hour, with 17 total within 24 hours, prompting the city to declare a state of emergency.
The consumption and treatment site operated by Positive Living Niagara reported that last month it had successfully reversed 50 overdoses, with 41 individuals requiring oxygen and nine needing naloxone.
“That is a busy month for us, that’s not the norm,” said Keira Knowles, supervisor of Street Works Harm Reduction Services with Positive Living Niagara, which operates the site.
Fentanyl, benzodiazepines, xylazine and a potent animal tranquillizer used in veterinary practices, called medetomidine, have been found in the illicit drug supply in communities across Ontario.
Outreach workers and healthcare professionals working with people using substances are concerned after hearing many people are experiencing adverse effects from the addition of these powerful substances.
Knowles said people in Niagara are experiencing much of the same effects noted in other communities, mostly sedative effects from the toxic drug supply.
“We’ve seen sleepy folks, their vitals are good, they are medically stable, but they’re unarousable, which, anecdotally, leads us to believe there is sedative tranquilizers or something added to the street supply,” she said.
“That’s where our evidence lies and the community is saying it’s sedating them.”
At the consumption and treatment site, an overdose is deemed any time medical intervention is needed and a person is in receipt of either naloxone or oxygen.
“Medical intervention is what we show as an overdose, because on the streets that person would get Narcan (naloxone), but at the CTS, we have the ability and privilege to have oxygen on site, which is sometimes all you need,” she said.
Knowles said it is difficult to know exactly what is in the toxic drug supply in Niagara, as the centre’s drug-checking machine is non-operational.
Other communities are noticing orange and green substances having a sedative effect, while white or beige substances sold as “down,” described as a concoction of several opiates usually containing heroin, are causing prolonged sedation and breathing difficulties, among other effects.
“The challenges we have is when there’s an illicit drug supply, even within the same sample, you can’t be exactly be sure what’s in there,” said Azim Kasmani, Niagara Region medical officer of health and commissioner of public health and emergency services.
The chemistry behind the toxic drug supply is not an exact science and it is hard for people who use or who are in outreach circles to know exactly what is in the drugs, he said.
“The amount of fentanyl in there or the amount of horse tranquillizer, the toxic substances, can vary, and that’s the significant challenge. Things can show up that are quite toxic, harmful to human health,” Kasmani said.
“Paramedics are trained in these exact situations and they’re able to respond, so calling 911 is important at the public health level,” he said.
“We’re in constant contact with Niagara Health and with other community organizations impacted. We’re sharing information, sharing intelligence and trying to get the message out there.”
Since 2005, when Niagara Region Public Health started collecting data on overdose deaths, more than 1,050 people have died from toxic drugs in the region.