Health workers report ‘more toxic’ opiate on Downtown Eastside
Posted October 28, 2017 8:47 pm.
Last Updated October 28, 2017 8:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Frontline health workers are reporting a “more toxic” opiate being sold in Vancouver over the past few days, with users experiencing unusual reactions.
It comes as Abbotsford police report five fatal overdoses within ten hours in that city.
Tiffany Akins with Vancouver Coastal Health says frontline staff and partner organizations are describing an opiate being sold on the Downtown Eastside.
“We are hearing from our frontline staff and our partner organisations on the frontline that there are people experiencing some type of unknown opiate and they’re having very unusual reactions,” she says.
“Some of those reactions that people are experiencing are vomiting and crouching on the ground. So we’re hearing that the substance they’re using is much more toxic than usual.”
She says people have bought the substance from different dealers.
“So it’s not like there’s one dealer who is selling these substances, it looks like there’s more than one.
Sarah Blyth with the Overdose Prevention Society says volunteers at that site have been noticing a change in reactions.
“In the past week in talking to volunteers down at the site we have definitely noticed some differences in that the drug is way more potent.”
“Right now we’ve got some really bad drugs out there where people are unconscious for while and when they do come to, some of them are experiencing other symptoms.”
“You know it’s very scary for the volunteers and for the folks that are suffering.”
Vancouver Coastal Health is encouraging anyone using illegal drugs not to use alone, and to have a naloxone kit.
There have been at least 259 suspected overdose deaths in Vancouver this year.
