Toronto police have issued a public safety alert after seven people have died in suspected overdoses believed to be caused by opioids.
Since Aug. 2, police said officers have been called to an unspecified number of overdoses in 14 Division. In that division alone, which is roughly bounded by Spadina Avenue, Dupont Street, Dufferin Street, Queen Street West and Lake Ontario, seven of those who overdosed died.
Const. David Hopkinson told Global News late Tuesday evening that investigators suspected the drugs are part of a lethal batch of fentanyl or carfentanil.
“Everybody should be wary. The amount of fentanyl it takes to kill you is almost imperceptible to the eye and carfentanil is a 100 times more potent,” he said.
“We believe it’s a very serious issue. If that’s one division, then imagine what it could be like across the city.”
Hopkinson said the coroner’s office has raised concerns and it has requested drug tests to be expedited.
“That screening and testing can take quite a bit of time to come back. It can take months,” he said.
“The coroner now has indicated concerns and they are trying to expedite tests coming back.”
According to the most recent statistics from Public Health Ontario and Toronto Public Health, there were 303 fatalities in 2017 due to opioid-related causes. In 2016, there were 186 deaths.
University of Alberta addiction medicine specialist Hakique Virani told Global News on Wednesday that carfentanil is a drug that is used in veterinarian medicine and that experts don’t exactly know how it works on humans.
“We don’t how it behaves in humans but we do know it’s involved in a number of opioid overdose deaths when it’s used as a street drug,” he said. “So drug traffickers and chemists don’t know how much to put in the drugs. People who are using it don’t know how much to take and that’s what makes it problematic.”
For anybody accessing these street drugs, Virani said people need to be aware that they can’t be certain about what they’re getting.
“If you’re using it, don’t use it alone. Use as small amount as possible,” he said, adding users should make sure to be carrying a naloxone kit or be with someone carrying one.
“Given that we’re uncertain about which drug you’re getting, make sure to call medical services if something bad happens because care might be required in hospital.”
Premier Doug Ford called overdose deaths a tragedy and agreed Wednesday that the province is facing a “crisis.” Ontario is reaching out to experts to get their input on overdose prevention sites, he said, adding that the government’s goal is to save lives, get people off drugs and into rehab.
“This is a major, major crisis,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck. It’s not just the government. It’s the police. It’s the agencies. It’s the experts. We all have to work together.”
Health Minister Christine Elliott said Monday that three sites set to open in Thunder Bay, Ont., St. Catharines, Ont., and Toronto were being put on hold as the government conducts a review to determine if such facilities will continue to operate in the province. A decision on the sites will be made by the end of September, she said.
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Toronto Mayor John Tory said overdose prevention sites are one of the ways “all three governments” are working on addressing the opioid epidemic.
“Until we decide as a country and as a province and as a city that we’re going to come to grips with the problem of mental health and addictions … we are going to continue to see this kind of thing happen,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
The City of Toronto has an overdose action plan in effect amid ongoing concerns about the exposure to opioids. Click here for a list of public health resources.
—With files from Jessica Patton and The Canadian Press
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