Halifax police, RCMP issue advisory over presence of illicit fentanyl

Halifax Regional Police (HRP) and the RCMP are warning residents that illicit fentanyl is being trafficked in the Halifax area.

READ MORE: 11 lives in Halifax saved so far from opioid overdoses because of naloxone kits: Direction 180

Police say in a release that searches of six homes in the past two months have turned up fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl powder. They go on to say the pills are manufactured with “CDN” stamped on one side and “80” on the other to make the typically dark green or light blue pills look authentic.

“It’s very easy to get a professional pill press machine,” Staff Sgt. Darrell Gaudet told Global News. “So the pills look real – they’re not fake like they were years ago.”

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Gaudet added police are trying to get the message out to everyone, but especially those who do not typically take illicit drugs.

“We’ve talked to a lot of addicts on the street in regards to their usage and how they’re using it. Some of them are aware of the dangers, but these are the addicts. These are the ones that have Narcan next to them when they’re using these drugs,” Gaudet said. “We want to get the word out to the general public, the recreation user, the person that’s buying a pill and they don’t know what’s in it.

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“Fentanyl is very deadly and can kill you.”

Fentanyl has become the centre of an opioid overdose crisis making its way across Canada. Halifax police also say the drug, “or one of its analogues,” has been used in cutting cocaine or in the production of fake crack cocaine. They say no cocaine confirmed to contain fentanyl has been seized in the area, but it has been known to cause deaths in other Canadian cities.

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While the drug is also used as medication for some people, as little as two milligrams can be lethal for an adult. Illicit fentanyl can also harm other people such as first responders, as the drug can be absorbed through inhalation or by incidental contact.

Halifax police and the RCMP have also been equipped with naloxone kits. The drug is used to treat people overdosing on opiates.

READ MORE: Two Halifax-area men charged after fentanyl pills, other drugs seized

Police advise people to call 911 if they are experiencing the following early signs of an overdose:

• Severe sleepiness
• Slow heartbeat
• Difficulty breathing
• Slow, shallow breathing or snoring
• Clammy, cold skin
• Problems with walking or talking
• Nausea and/or vomiting

– With files from Jennifer Grudic, Global News