SASKATOON – There are renewed warnings from Saskatoon police regarding the dangers of Fentanyl. Over the weekend, a youth narrowly escaped with his life after he and a friend knowingly took a quarter pill each of counterfeit OxyContin.
Fake OxyContin is suspected in the recent overdose deaths of two young adults in the Kindersley area and Saskatoon police seized over 150 fake pills in June.
READ MORE: Just ‘one bad pill’ with fentanyl killed 32-year-old Danielle Radtke
Investigators say the deadly drug is coming into Saskatchewan from Edmonton and British Columbia.
On Thursday, Calgary police charged a man for allegedly trying to smuggle Fentanyl, with an estimated value of $348,000, into the country from China.
“We are now seeing this extremely harmful drug being used in combination with other drugs, such as heroin, caffeine and xylazine,” said Calgary police S/Sgt. Martin Schiavetta.
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There is no quality control to black market drugs and cut together with other opioids, there is no way of knowing what you are getting.
“Every time you are taking contraband of any kind, you are putting your life at risk,” said Saskatoon police Insp. Jerome Engele.
“These drug dealers are finding a way to enhance their ‘product,’ they want it to be better than the competition so if you doctor it up and cut in Fentanyl naturally it’s going to give you a better high and quicker high, but could also kill you.”
Engele added that this is the first time in his career police have had to warn people about the same drug multiple times, saying taking a drug that could kill you is just down-right stupid.
READ MORE: Recreational drug-use turns deadly in Saskatchewan
Police say anyone taking contraband is considered a drug abuser, not a recreational drug user.
With files from Global’s Melissa Ramsay
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