Xanax pill warning after 4 non-fatal overdoses in Cambridge
CBC News | Posted: August 5, 2017 9:00 AM | Last Updated: August 5, 2017
Unclear if pills were ‘counterfeit or tainted by other drugs,’ police say
Beware of prescription medications bought on the street — that's the warning from police and the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy after a flurry of overdose calls Thursday into Friday.
Between 9:30 p.m. Thursday and 2:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to four calls in Cambridge. Those needing medical attention were all in their late teens or early 20s, and it was believed they took Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication.
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"It is unknown if the pills were counterfeit or tainted by other drugs," police said.
Two of the people also admitted to drinking alcohol when they took the pills.
Three people were taken to hospital for evaluation and their conditions were not considered life-threatening.
In an overdose alert, the Drug Strategy team said "substances not received from a pharmacy may contain other substances and increase the risk of overdose."
The alert comes after authorities in London warned people that test results showed fentanyl was showing up in other drugs, including heroin and marijuana.
"Finding fentanyl in drugs like marijuana means that people who think they are doing something minor may end up dying of overdose," said Dr. Chris Mackie, the Middlesex-London Health Unit's Medical Officer of Health.