FAQ
Police Services have found illicitly manufactured fentanyl being sold in:
- pill form sold as fake oxy’s and other club drugs
- powder form sold as heroin or fentanyl
- powder form mixed into other drugs like cocaine, crystal meth and others
Pills or powders containing illicitly-manufactured fentanyl are especially dangerous because there is no quality control or regulated manufacturing process. These drugs may contain toxic contaminants or have different levels of fentanyl in each batch. Even pills produced in the same batch may have little to lethal levels of fentanyl.
Some prescription fentanyl is also diverted to the street and used by sucking on patches or cutting the patch to extract for injection. Patches are designed for specific medical usage – used any other way may lead to an overdose.
Yes, if you use it as prescribed. Take caution if you are also using other substances which may suppress breathing, like alcohol and benzodiazepines (like Librium and Valium), or other non-prescribed drugs. Keep your medication out of reach of children and pets. If you’re having any side effects, call your doctor or, if serious, call 911.
IF YOU THINK SOMEONE IS OVERDOSING… CALL 9-1-1- immediately
Overdose Symptoms
- Can’t stay awake
- No strength or energy
- Cold, clammy skin
- Severe sleepiness
- Slow heartbeat
- Trouble breathing
- Slow, shallow breathing or snoring
- Trouble walking or talking
- Snoring or gurgling sounds
- Lips or fingernails are blue, purple
- Non-responsive to shouting, rubbing knuckles between nose and upper lip
- Breathing is slow, erratic, or has stopped
Fentanyl is a white, crystallized powder substance with no odour. It is most commonly found in Ontario in the form of a therapeutic patch, but can also be found illicitly in the form of counterfeit medications, as a cutting ingredient in cocaine and heroin, or on its own.
Fentanyl is obtained in a number of ways including sale of legitimate prescriptions, theft of prescriptions, theft from institutions with drug inventories, double doctoring, fraudulent prescriptions, purchased from dark web internet sites and illegally produced.
- Deaths
- Emergency department visits
- Hospitalizations
- EMS calls for overdoses
No, there is no rapid detection test for fentanyl that is currently available for general use.
Call 9-1-1 immediately. FentanylCanKill.
Give Naloxone immediately after calling 911.
Naloxone is an emergency medication that reverses the effects of an overdose from opioids such as fentanyl, heroin, methadone, morphine.
Naloxone is available free of charge at the Brant County Health Unit (create hyperlink to BCHU website for info about access to Naloxone) and in over 9 different pharmacies throughout Brantford and the County of Brant.
To find a location near you call ConnexOntario Health Services Information, Drug and Alcohol Help Line: 1-800-565-8603
You can also follow this link to find a location near you: https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-naloxone-kits-free
While we advise against using illicit drugs, people who choose to use should be sure to:
- never use alone
- start with a small amount
- not mix substances, including alcohol, as it increases risk of overdose
- call 911 right away if they think someone is overdosing
- make a plan and know how to respond in case of an overdose
- use where help is easily available
- be prepared to give breaths and/or administer naloxone (Narcan) until help arrives. Have a kit accessible at all times and KNOW how to use it.
Naloxone is available free of charge at the Brant County Health Unit (create hyperlink to BCHU website for info about access to Naloxone) and in over 9 different pharmacies throughout Brantford and the County of Brant.
To find the closest location call ConnexOntario Health Services Information, Drug and Alcohol Help Line: 1-800-565-8603
Learn more about the Naloxone in Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-naloxone-kits-free
Caution should be used when handling fentanyl, as it can be absorbed through the skin or mucous membranes. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth if you get any on your skin — even small quantities absorbed this way can lead to death. FentanylCanKill.
For more information on Opioids and Substitution Therapy, please click here for the PDF document provided by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
