Guelph police have issued a public safety warning following a trio of overdoses over the weekend.
In a release sent out on Sunday evening, Guelph police said they responded to three incidents where overdoses were suspected.
In all three cases, police said the victims were brought to hospital for further treatment, and they allege that the victims had believed they were ingesting cocaine.
However, the symptoms of their overdoses were similar to those experienced by those who have come into contact with powerful opioids such as fentanyl.
Get weekly health news
Over the last few years, fentanyl and carfentanil have been making their way into illicit street drugs such as cocaine in Guelph, Wellington County and the Waterloo Region.
Police said in the statement that while they discourage the use of illicit street drugs, they are asking those who do use them to exercise extreme caution when doing so.
They are strongly encouraging users to visit the supervised injection site and to have the overdose-reversing drug naloxone on hand as well as a second person present who can assist in its administration.
Guelph police are also urging those who discover a friend or a loved one unconscious for an unknown reason to not hesitate and contact 911 immediately because it could save their lives.
Comments