Toronto police are warning the public again about the dangers of Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid 40 times more potent than heroin, after the theft of 20 patches from a vehicle in North York last week.
Drug Squad Commander Howie Page says that’s why they are out with a warning to be on the lookout for the prescription pain medication.
Page says illegal producers are making fake Oxycontin pills with Fentanyl, and it’s being added to Heroin – so users don’t even know what they are getting.
He says Fentanyl is often prescribed in a patch form, and that the drug is being scraped off the slow-release patch and being added to other drugs.
Some recent numbers suggest there has been one overdose death due to Fentanyl every three days.
And while Page says it isn’t prevalent in Toronto yet – “It’s only a matter of time that we should, and likely will see it in Toronto.”
Agencies/Canadajournal