Saint John police issue public safety alert over powerful opioid carfentanil
Coroner's office confirmed 'clinically toxic levels' in blood of two recent sudden deaths under investigation
The Saint John Police Force has issued a public safety alert about the drug carfentanil after the coroner's office confirmed the powerful opioid was involved in two recent sudden deaths.
Carfentanil is a "dangerous" drug that may be circulating in the community, said spokesperson Staff Sgt. Sean Rocca.
It is normally used as a tranquilizer for large animals. It is not approved for human use.
Carfentanil is estimated to be approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, Rocca said in a news release.
Its effects include the inability to feel pain, euphoria, sedation, and respiratory depression that may lead to death.
On Wednesday, Saint John police received lab results from the coroner's office in two sudden deaths cases that occurred in January and February. They confirmed the presence of carfentanil in blood that had "reached clinically toxic levels," according to the release.
Both deaths remain under investigation by police and the coroner's office, including the source of the drug and the final cause of death, Rocca said.
No other details have been released.
"Due to the [drug's] potency, it is a public safety concern," Rocca said in an emailed statement.
Carfentanil normally comes in the form of a white powdery substance that may appear similar to cocaine, said Rocca. It could, however, come in different forms, he cautioned.
Health Canada warns carfentanil and fentanyl are particularly dangerous because they can be fatal "even in very small amounts," and can be mixed with, or disguised and sold as street drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and counterfeit prescription drugs such as Oxycodone.
"The Saint John Police advises members of the public to not ingest any drug that is not approved for human consumption and prescribed or recommended by a physician," Rocca said.
He could not immediately provide a local street price for carfentanil, but said fentanyl can sell for $300 to $500 per gram.