York Regional Police is warning the public after an unknown amount of carfentanil, a drug 10,000 times more potent than morphine, was seized from a woman in Richmond Hill.
Officers responded to a call for an injured person inside a washroom at a gas station in Richmond Hill on Jan. 28.
According to investigators, an unknown amount of white powder was seized at the time.
Police initially believed the found substance was fentanyl, but after submitting it for testing to Health Canada they were told that it was carfentanil.
The woman was charged for drug possession. She did not suffer any serious injuries in the incident.
In a news release issued on Thursday, police said they are warning the public since this is the first time carfentanil has been confirmed to have shown up in York Region.
“York Regional Police is warning the public about the dangers associated with the recreational use of illegal drugs, especially powdered- form drugs which can contain trace amounts of fentanyl or carfentanil,” the news release said.
Carfentanil is suspected to be 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine. The drug is commonly used by veterinarians as a tranquilizer for larger animals.
Exposure to a very small amount of this drug, as little as a grain of salt or two milligrams of power, could be fatal through ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin.
“Recreational drug users who ingest, inject or smoke any powdered-form drug must be aware that carfentanil can be found mixed with other drugs,” the release said. “It cannot be detected and can cause a fatal overdose.”
“Cross contamination can also cause fatalities if the drug is present on an item or surface. All powdered-form drugs should be handled with caution and treated with the possibly that carfentanil may be present.”
In relation to the extensive wait time for results of toxicology and drug tests involving fentanyl in Ontario, Toronto police said it often takes months to get back the result which is a major concern for the victims’ families and the province’s police forces and health units.
The Toronto Board of Health held a meeting on March 20 calling for expedited development of provincial overdose surveillance and monitoring system.
Health units and police forces across the province are pointing to British Columbia, a province facing the brunt of the opioid crisis. In B.C., monthly reports on overdoses are reported and doctor-ordered urine tests done by a private lab on addicts are regularly conducted. These tests can be completed in two to three days.
