Delta police sent out a warning over the weekend after two people overdosed on fentanyl after using cocaine.
“It is likely the cocaine the individuals used was cut with fentanyl, and although it is unknown where the drugs were obtained from police believe it is likely circulating in the South Delta area,” A/Sgt. Sarah Swallow said Saturday.
Police were alerted to the overdoses Saturday morning after the two people were treated in hospital overnight.
“Delta Police remind users that in using any illegal drug there is no control over the product and users may not be ingesting the drug they intend to take, with potentially fatal consequences,” she said.
While police recommend abstaining from drug use in the first place, the department suggests that anyone who chooses to use illicit drugs to never use alone.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is more toxic than morphine, is a respiratory depressant that, when cut with other drugs, cannot be seen, smelled or tasted.
Early symptoms of a fentanyl overdose include: severe sleepiness; slow heartbeat; trouble breathing; slow, shallow breathing or snoring; cold, clammy skin; and trouble walking or talking.
Call 911 immediately if you see someone who has taken drugs exhibiting overdose symptoms.
Fentanyl has been the subject of police warnings in other communities in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley in recent months. The drug has been linked to the deaths this summer of a North Vancouver couple.
For more information on fentanyl visit www.knowyoursource.ca.
