SASKATOON – Police are issuing another alarm over fake OxyContin on Saskatoon streets. Officials say they continue to see overdoses they believe to have been caused by the consumption of counterfeit OxyContin containing Fentanyl.
Two recent overdose deaths in the Kindersley area along with the seizure of pills in June are leading investigators to believe there may be more pills for sale in Saskatoon.
READ MORE: Recreational drug-use turns deadly in Saskatchewan
MD Ambulance said they responded to seven opioid overdoses during one June night.
It’s the same situation elsewhere in Western Canada.
READ MORE: More warnings about fentanyl as stories of deadly overdoses emerge
Vancouver police sounded another warning after six people overdosed in a one-hour period Sunday night that may be linked to Fentanyl.
Fentanyl has been linked to more than 100 deaths in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia in 2014.
What is worrisome for Saskatoon police is the lack of quality control. Police say every batch made in a clandestine lab may vary in strength and potency.
READ MORE: Gangs reap profit from fentanyl as deaths climb
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid or painkiller that is similar to heroin but experts say it’s 50 to 100 times more toxic than other narcotics.
Also troubling for investigators is the colour of the pills. In the past, the pills have been green in colour; now they may come in any colour making it impossible to distinguish between true OxyContin and counterfeit drugs.
Police continue to warn that any drug taken that has not been prescribed by a doctor, or dispensed by a pharmacist, poses a very serious risk of injury or death.
With files from Meaghan Craig
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