Two drug samples seized in Woodstock, Ont. in September have tested positive for the deadly synthetic opioid carfentanil, the city’s police service said Thursday.
In a statement, Woodstock police said the samples came from two separate drug seizures in the city. A recent analysis by Health Canada confirmed that the samples contained carfentanil, they said.
Carfentanil is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and is 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. The odourless and tasteless drug may be added to other drugs without the user knowing, Woodstock police said.
It only takes an amount of carfentanil powder equivalent to a grain of salt to be lethal through inhalation, ingestion, or absorption through the skin.
The discovery comes a month after police in London confirmed two drug seizures in the city, one from August, the other from September, tested positive for carfentanil.
The arrival of carfentanil in London was described as a “turning point” for the worse by officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “Even for first-time users, it’s like playing Russian roulette,” said medical officer of health Dr. Chris Mackie at the time.
Last month, London Police Chief John Pare said there had been 23 confirmed fentanyl seizures in the city, an increase of 460 per cent compared to 2016.
Anyone with information about the seizures in Woodstock are asked to contact police at 519-537-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).