Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is warning about a new drug found in a local unregulated drug source that could lead to a surge in overdoses.
“This week, Health Canada detected the first samples in Ottawa of a new drug called 'N-pyrrolidinoethonitazene (ethonitazepine)', which is in a class of drugs called nitazene opioids and is also known by the street name 'pyro,'” a Health Canada statement said.
“Here in Ottawa, the drug was found in unregulated counterfeit hydromorphone M8 tablets. The white tablets were printed three-sided with the letters M and 8.”
OPH said the drugs are highly toxic and can be mixed with other drugs. In Ontario, the province has seen an increase in Nitazen, an unregulated opioid believed to be oxycodone (OxyContin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), hydrocodone and Percocet.
“Nitazen is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 10 times more toxic than fentanyl and 1,000 to 1,500 times more toxic than morphine,” health officials said. “This toxicity increases the risk of overdose and may require larger amounts of naloxone than usual to rescue someone who has overdosed.”
This warning is for all residents, not just people who use drugs. If you encounter someone who may be having a drug overdose, call 9-1-1 immediately and stay with the person until paramedics or other emergency personnel arrive. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides certain legal protections for people who seek emergency help during a drug overdose.
“Administer naloxone if you have it. Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose and can also be safely given to people who have taken non-opioid medications (such as benzodiazepines or xylazine),” OPH says. “Perform chest compressions and rescue breathing or CPR as needed, and administer naloxone repeatedly every 2-3 minutes until the person responds or emergency medical personnel arrive.”
People who use drugs are urged to take extreme precautions, such as carrying naloxone in case of overdose, not using alone and telling someone when they plan to use drugs.
According to OPH data, there have been 449 confirmed opioid overdose-related visits to Ottawa emergency departments in the first five months of this year. As of the week of June 10-16, there have been 133 confirmed drug overdose deaths in Ottawa.
