Drug alert issued for powerful opioid detected for first time in N.S.

A warning has been issued astir the find of a almighty cause that's ne'er been antecedently detected successful Nova Scotia's amerciable cause stream.

It's the 2nd akin nationalist alert posted online by the Nova Scotia Health Authority wrong the past month.

RCMP recovered N-Pyrrolidino metonitazene, a synthetic opioid known arsenic "brown sugar," during a hunt they conducted successful December successful the Amherst, N.S., country arsenic portion of an probe into a stolen ungraded bike, an RCMP spokesperson said.

Testing astatine the nationalist cause investigation work laboratory precocious confirmed the sample also contained a premix of fentanyl, cocaine, caffeine and a tranquillizer. The cause was besides identified successful Quebec and Ontario earlier this month. 

The alert described the drug's quality arsenic a "brownish rock" with a grainy texture.

Rebecca Penn, a harm simplification advisor with Nova Scotia Health, said the opioid is doubly arsenic almighty arsenic fentanyl, and warned that mixing opioids and a tranquillizer tin dilatory a person's breathing and bosom rate, which tin pb to a fatal overdose.

Penn said naloxone tin antagonistic the effects of the opioid, but much than 1 dose whitethorn beryllium required. However, because naloxone is not effectual against cocaine and tranquillizers, she said people should interaction exigency services instantly if idiosyncratic appears to beryllium overdosing. 

"We person to presume that we don't truly cognize what's going connected with what's successful the substance that we're consuming," she said. "When you get thing from the unregulated supply, there's nary label. And truthful you person nary thought what it contains."

'Another crisis' successful the province

Four Nova Scotians person died from opioid overdoses successful 2025, based connected preliminary information from the province. Last year, determination were 69 confirmed and probable opioid toxicity deaths successful Nova Scotia. 

"This is different situation that's unfolding successful our province," Penn said.

Ashley Legere, enforcement manager of the Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association, said the recently found opioid is lone 1 of the drugs connected the streets of her community. 

"Dead radical don't get the accidental to recover," Legere said. "We privation to marque definite that each 1 of our assemblage members gets to enactment live and that we get to enactment them."

Cpl. Troy Gill of Cumberland County RCMP said constabulary are uncertain if this circumstantial cause arrived from New Brunswick but immoderate of Amherst's amerciable cause proviso does travel from that province because of the town's proximity to the border.

"Our officers person to beryllium vigilant and the assemblage arsenic well," Gill said. "If they travel crossed these drugs, they indispensable not interaction them and they telephone the authorities close distant due to the fact that of the potency of them."

RCMP made the archetypal cause seizure precocious past twelvemonth arsenic portion of a hunt aft they arrested a antheral successful the Amherst country successful narration to a ungraded motorcycle that had antecedently been reported stolen.

Jesse Parlee, 32, of Moncton, N.B., was charged with a slew of offences.

He appeared successful Amherst provincial tribunal connected Feb. 5 and received a condemnation of 4 years successful narration to the charges, RCMP confirmed Monday.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with substance abuse, here's wherever to look for help:

• Call 911 for emergencies. 

• If you are utilizing drugs alone, telephone the National Overdose Response Service astatine 1-888-688-NORS. 

• Harm Reduction Services database successful Nova Scotia. 

• Government of Canada database of resources and services.

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling connected the website.