The Ottawa Police Service is investigating a spate of suspected drug overdoses, three of which were fatal.
Over the course of 14 hours on Monday, police responded to five separate incidents involving six individuals requiring emergency medical treatment. Two of the suspected overdoses were fatal, according to an official release. Ottawa paramedics confirmed that a third person later died in hospital.
An advisory was issued to the public to warn about the risks of using illicit substances because there is no knowing what those substances might be mixed with.
“This looks like it’s cocaine users who have had their drugs laced with possibly fentanyl,” said Ottawa police spokesperson Cst. Amy Gagnon. “The coroner will be able to deduce, but by speaking with people, it’s not your opioid users.”
The OPS release states that “there is no easy way to know if fentanyl is in your drugs” and that “even a very small amount can cause an overdose”.
“It’s just a reminder that any drug users should know, and have access to, where naloxone can be found,” said Gagnon, referring to the medication most commonly used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
To learn more about the prevention of overdoses, visit http://www.stopoverdoseottawa.ca/.