RCMP in northeastern Alberta are issuing a warning about contaminated drugs possibly in the area after three people, including a Mountie, were taken to hospital Friday night for suspected overdoses.
On May 15 at around 6 p.m., Wood Buffalo RCMP responded to a 911 call about a suspected drug overdose in the community of Janvier, which is about 120 kilometres south of Fort McMurray.
An RCMP officer who responded to a home in Janvier administered Narcan — a nasal spray medication used to block the effects of opioids — to revive an unconscious man. The officer took the then-conscious man to the Janvier airstrip to await further medical assistance, police said.
A second RCMP officer showed up at the airstrip and found the first RCMP officer in medical distress, who then went unconscious in the police vehicle.
Narcan was administered to the unconscious officer, who was taken to hospital by ground ambulance, police said. As of Monday, RCMP said the officer had been released from hospital and was recovering at home.
Meanwhile, the original man police had taken to the airstrip was cleared by EMS on scene and was not taken to hospital, officers said.
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An hour and a half later — at approximately 7:30 p.m. — RCMP responded to a call for help from another residence in Janvier, which police said was unrelated to the first.
A man told police he had picked up an unknown white substance off the ground along a driveway before going into medical distress. The man was taken to a local hospital via ground ambulance. As of Monday, he had recovered.
RCMP said the preliminary investigation showed the first Mountie was cross-contaminated with an unknown drug substance.
Police want local residents to be aware of the possibility that street-level drugs in the region may be unknowingly laced with opioids such as fentanyl, carfentanil or methamphetamines.
Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that — depending on the drug’s purity — can be 100 times more toxic than fentanyl, 4,000 to 5,000 times more potent than heroin, and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It has traditionally been used in veterinary practices to immobilize large animals.
Wood Buffalo RCMP continue to investigate the suspected overdoses. RCMP asked residents to avoid touching suspicious substances and to contact them at 780-788-4040 if they find any.
Anyone with information regarding any suspicious incidents or who has knowledge of drug activity in northeastern Alberta is also asked to call Wood Buffalo RCMP or local police. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-545-8477 (TIPS) or filling out a form online.
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