The street use of opioids like fentanyl is a growing issue in Alberta, according to Dr. Nick Etches, medical officer for the Calgary Zone with Alberta Health Services (AHS).
“It’s an issue we’ve been working on for quite a while now,” he said. “I know that in the first six months of this year, overdose deaths from fentanyl, there were 45 in the Calgary zone and 145 across the province.”
Fentanyl is part of the class of drugs known as opioids. Other opioids include morphine, oxycodone and heroin.
“They’re often used in medicine to treat pain or for anesthesia,” Etches said.
“The issue we’re seeing with fentanyl is that a lot of the fentanyl that’s being used right now and is resulting in overdose is from illicit sources, it’s not from pharmaceutical sources. Fentanyl is a very, very powerful sedative and it takes only a very small amount to overdose.”
Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than other opioids, like oxycodone, and is also highly addictive with users often needing to take more and more of the drug to get the same high. Street names for the drug include shady eighties, green beans and greenies, so-called for the drug’s green colour in pill form.
“Fentanyl, right now, is one of the most available narcotics,” Etches said. “According to our law enforcement partners it’s also one of the cheapest, and that’s a problem because it’s also one of the most toxic that’s out there and our communities are seeing the brunt of that.”
According to Etches, overdosing on fentanyl is relatively easy, in part because users may buy what they think is oxycodone or other opioids and receive fentanyl instead.
“The most notorious version is known as Oxy-80,” he said. “It’s a green pill masquerading as oxycodone but it is actually, in almost all cases now, fentanyl. That pill is taken orally by some people. Other people may choose to snort it or inject it. All of these forms of use are dangerous.”
The recreational use of fentanyl is what is most concerning for AHS.
“This is a drug that’s being used recreationally by individuals who may pop a pill at a party, for example, who wouldn’t consider themselves regular or dependant drug users,” Etches said.
“But these are people who are at grave risk because they have no tolerance; that is to say their body is not used to seeing this drug and therefore it can stop their breathing quite quickly.”
An antidote for fentanyl called naloxone is available, according to Etches.
“It’s like the epi pen for an opioid or fentanyl overdose,” he said. “We’re actively working to expand its availability but there are seven sites where people who are using fentanyl can access naloxone. They will get training as part of that on how to prevent an overdose, how to respond to an overdose and how to use naloxone to reverse an overdose.”
Naloxone is available in Calgary at four locations, including the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre on Fourth Street S.W. and the Calgary Drop-in Centre on Dermot Baldwin Way S.E.
Etches said the message needs to get out that “there’s no such thing as a safe street drug.”
“The drug dealer is not there to protect you. You never know what is in a street drug and so it’s very important to protect yourself and get the information. Even if you’re just popping a pill at a party, you are at risk. We’re seeing many deaths in this population. This is a problem that deserves a lot of attention because it’s killing a lot of Albertans.”
AHS provides information about the dangers of fentanyl and where to find the antidote, naloxone, on the website, drugsfool.ca
