Warning issued about dangerous synthetic opioid in Halifax after drug seizure

Halifax Regional Police have issued a warning about a “highly potent synthetic opioid” seized in Halifax at the end of September.

In a release, police say officers conducted an impaired driving investigation on Sept. 30, where they seized a quantity of pills. The pills were sent to Health Canada for analysis, and they were found to be A Benzimidazole (N-desethyl Isotonitazene), which is similar to but stronger than fentanyl.

The release said a lethal dose of fentanyl for a typical adult can be as little as two milligrams, equal to two grains of salt.

Symptoms of an opioid overdose include:

• Severe sleepiness or the person cannot be woken up;
• Slow or absent breathing;
• Snoring or gurgling noises;
• Cold, clammy skin;
• Blue or grey lips and fingers;
• Tiny pupils.

The pills that were seized were a white triangle shape with “DD” on one side and “8” on the other.

“The appearance of the pill may lead people to believe they are consuming a different drug,” it said. “Given the potency of the drug, a person may need several doses of naloxone to counter an overdose caused by N-desethyl Isotonitazene.”

Naloxone kits are available free of charge through the Nova Scotia Take Home Naloxone Program, though naloxone is a temporary antidote and those who are given naloxone should still be taken to a hospital as soon as possible.

Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. John MacLeod said the driver involved in the Sept. 30 incident is facing impaired driving charges, but the investigation about the drug seizure is still ongoing.

“Part of the reason why the (drugs) were sent to Health Canada for us to get proper information about what exactly is in those pills, so that we can determine where that investigation needs to go,” he said.

MacLeod could not say if those drugs were involved in a string of overdoses in the Cole Harbour area last month, which led to the death of a youth and three hospitalizations.

Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay, a spokesperson for the Halifax RCMP, which is investigating those overdoses, said the drugs involved in that case are still being tested.

“We haven’t heard back from the lab yet, so we wouldn’t be able to tell you if it’s the same drug or not,” he said.

However, he noted that the RCMP seized a number of isotonitazene pills with the street name “Shady 8,” which had caused multiple overdoses in Cumberland County in April 2022.

“We would tell the public to be very cautious whenever they consume any illicit drugs, because there are risks involved,” he said. “We have had overdoses in the area, so definitely keep that in mind.”