VCH uses new warning system to alert users about mysterious green opiate

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A mysterious new green opiate is responsible for multiple overdoses in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Tiffany Akins with Vancouver Coastal Health says there isn’t much information right now, but several people who overdosed at one of its prevention sites had unusual symptoms: rigid muscles and constricted pupils.

“What we know right now is that there were several overdoses at one of our prevention sites, our staff were noticing some unusual symptoms,” she says.

She advises anyone to start with a small amount to see how your body is reacting, don’t use alone, don’t mix drugs with alcohol, make sure there is a naloxone kit, and use at an overdose prevention site.

“People can also check their drugs for fentanyl and carfentanil at any of our overdose prevention sites or supervised consumption sites,” she adds

Coastal Health is trying to get these warnings out faster with a texting service called the Real-time Drug Alert & Response (RADAR) project.

You can text 236-999-DOPE (3673) and receive updates, but also let others know about overdose activity in your area.

“If you see an overdose, you can say what neighbourhood, what town, etcetera, when we send the alerts, they go out to everyone,” Akins explains, shrinking the response time to shelters and consumption sites down from about a week to later the same day overdoses break out. “We heard today, we’re sending out the report today.”

Frontline workers have been reporting a new more toxic opiate circulating in Vancouver last week with unusual symptoms like vomiting, but it’s not known if this is connected.

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