A community drug alert has been issued in Waterloo Region following a concerning uptick in the number of suspected overdoses. According to the alert, 48 suspected overdoses and one suspected drug-related death were reported in the region between Sept. 14 and Sept. 17. “The street drug supply is highly toxic: street drugs may be different than expected and may cause unexpected reactions,” the alert warned. Sanguen’s Drug Checking Program flagged fentanyl with high amounts of medetomidine recently. Medetomidine is a veterinary tranquilizer and is considered to be more potent than xylazine. Other unexpected opioids were also found in fentanyl samples. The drug alert said yellowed powdered drugs are considered to be of particular concern in the community. Some people who use drugs have reported a strong sedation-like effect kicked in very quickly after taking a substance. There were also concerns among cocaine users who were initially unresponsive, exhibited very slow breathing and had pinpoint pupils after consumption. Some symptoms to watch for include heavy sedation, very low heart rate, excessive vomiting, chest pain, high blood pressure and varying levels of awareness. Naloxone should be administered if an overdose is suspected. Although Naloxone cannot stop the effects of non-opioid drugs, such as medetomidine and benzodiazepine, people are still encouraged to administer it if they believe someone is experiencing an overdose. Naloxone is a substance that temporarily reverse the symptoms of an opioid overdose. It is important to seek medical help after administering the potentially life-saving drug. A person experiencing an overdose may also need more than one dose of Naloxone. According to the Government of Canada, it only works if a person has opioids in their system, and Naloxone cannot be improperly used or create dependence.
