Meth gets all the headlines, but opioids still present in Manitoba: addictions expert

Winnipeg may be in the midst of a high-profile meth crisis, but it’s not the only drug plaguing the city’s streets.

Dr. Ginette Poulin of the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) told 680 CJOB that the city continues to deal with an influx of opioids, and that new substances like “purple heroin” are taking a foothold in Winnipeg.

“Opioids have not disappeared, regardless of our meth crisis,” said Poulin.

“Unfortunately, when we deal with issues of substances, it’s pretty much all substances on a daily basis. What is concerning is that with these changing drug trends, we do see certain ones that pop up and the ones that do pop up often have different toxicities and potencies.”

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The latest trend, the so-called purple heroin, is a mixture of multiple opioids – including oxycontin, heroin, fentanyl and carfentanil.

“Dealers often try to create a product that is distinct and unique… they’re trying to create a product that they can sell and that has its own unique euphoria or high associated with that, so people will desire the products.

“The dangers when people mix various substances is that they have a higher risk for fatalities,” said Poulin.

Despite the obvious danger of overdosing, she said, many users are willing to take the gamble because they’re so desperate not to go into withdrawal that they’re willing to use whatever’s accessible.

Also, a drug’s reputation as a killer might – to some – act as a bizarre selling point.

“If they hear of a fatality, parts of their brains that aren’t working well might say, ‘That’s probably the good stuff’, and they’re going to want to try to use that to catch that high they might have had the first time that they used.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If they hear of a fatality, parts of their brains that aren't working well might say, 'That's probably the good stuff', and they're going to want to try to use that to catch that high they might have had the first time that they used."

Poulin said AFM has found that take-home naloxone kits –  life-saving medication that can temporarily block or reverse the effects of an opioid overdose – have made a positive impact as far as saving lives in the short term, but compassion and education are also key to preventing overdose.

“When people are faced with an addiction, the first large barrier they have is stigma,” she said. “Working to break that down, making them feel welcome and not judged when they come in for treatment is key.”

Drug addiction, she said, is often connected to trauma, so engaging users in treatment and counselling — and even just educating them on how to minimize risks — can be very beneficial to someone in the middle of the ‘roller coaster’ of drug abuse.

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