Fort St. John RCMP report 3 possible overdose deaths as new toxic drug circulates in region

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 10, 2025 1:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

RCMP successful Fort St. John, B.C., person issued a informing aft 3 radical died of evident overdoses successful a azygous week.

The constabulary unit says betwixt April 3 and 9, officers "were called to the country of 3 abrupt deaths wherever the origin was believed to beryllium accordant with an opioid overdose" successful the assemblage of astir 21,000 people.

At the aforesaid time, constabulary say, they person travel crossed counterfeit Oxycodone tablets containing the synthetic opioid isotonitazene, besides known as sotonitazene oregon nitazene, which they picture "as potent oregon much potent than fentanyl."

Created successful the 1950s arsenic imaginable symptom relievers, the drugs were ne'er approved for objective use.

However, they person emerged wrong recreational cause supplies successful the United States, Canada and European countries since 2019.

Scientists person comparatively small accusation astir however the quality assemblage reacts to nitazenes due to the fact that the chemicals person ne'er gone done objective trials that connection a accidental to find out.

Northern Health issued a nationalist informing astir the drug, saying that portion it cannot beryllium detected by fentanyl strips, it tin beryllium treated using naloxone, though a greater dose whitethorn beryllium needed. 

People who usage drugs are reminded not to usage unsocial and to person a program successful lawsuit of an overdose.

Fort St. John has a azygous overdose prevention site, unfastened Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.