One Nova Scotia man is sharing his experiences with fentanyl in the hope of raising awareness around the deadly drug.
“Don’t go near it – it’s not worth it. It’s not worth your time; it’s not worth your life for sure,” the man told Global News on Thursday.
Fearing for his safety, he spoke to Global News under the condition of anonymity.
He spent the past 20 years living in Vancouver, a city that’s been paralyzed by the outbreak of illicit fentanyl.
According to the statistics from the BC Coroners Office, over 900 people died in 2016 from fentanyl overdoses.
“I was afraid of dying. I’m an addict, and out there in BC they’re dropping four or five a day, every day,” the man said.
Halifax Regional Police sent out a joint public advisory with the RCMP on Wednesday, warning people of the arrival of fentanyl in the province.
READ MORE: Halifax police, RCMP issue advisory over presence of illicit fentanyl
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Since January, police say they’ve found fentanyl in six residential searches.
It’s an announcement that doesn’t come as a surprise to those who work on the front lines of addiction.
Police have warned that fentanyl could be cut into drugs other than opioids – a message that resonates with those who’ve seen the impact of overdoses first-hand.
“It’s in everything – you think you’re buying one drug and you’re actually buying fentanyl and you don’t know it and that’s the danger of it,” the former fentanyl user said.
Police are advising people to administer the drug Naloxone in the case of an opioid-related overdose.
The drug reverses the immediate effects of an overdose and provides a window of opportunity to save someone’s life while they wait for further medical assistance.
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