Nova Scotia Health issued a warning Monday after two overdoses in the Halifax area were reported overnight that were resistant to naloxone, which is typically used to reverse opioid overdoses.
According to the department, members of a community organization witnessed the incidents.
“Both individuals are understood to have been using both Sweet Tarts and XANAX,” the department said in a release.
“Sweet Tarts appear like the multicoloured, chalk-like ‘rocket’ candies, with a clear coating that contains the drug. The XANAX were yellow pills in a bar shape with the word ‘XANAX'”
Officials note because the drugs were in the benzodiazepine class of medications, naloxone did not have an effect.
“Naloxone will only reverse opioid overdoses. Naloxone will not reverse benzodiazepine overdoses. Opioid and benzodiazepine overdoses can look similar. This is why it is important to always call 911 in the event of any overdose,” said spokesperson Carla Adams in a statement.
“While Naloxone will only reverse opioid overdoses, it is safe to administer Naloxone even if someone has not taken opioids. If you are unsure of what substances someone has taken, always administer Naloxone just in case.”
Health officials suggest if people are using these drugs, to not use it alone. They also advise people to test a dose by starting with a low amount.
For safety reasons, they also ask people to have naloxone handy and to call 911 in the event of an overdose.