Vancouver police are warning drug users to be cautious after the seizure of an opioid believed to be 100 times more powerful than fentanyl.
Police say two samples of a seized drug were sent to Health Canada for analysis in September and have been confirmed to contain trace amounts of carfentanil.
The drug was believed to be heroin when it was confiscated from a man reported to be carrying a firearm in the city's Downtown Eastside.
Police say early signs of an opioid overdose include severe sleepiness, slow heartbeat, cold, clammy skin, and trouble breathing, walking or talking.
Anyone who observes such signs in someone who has taken illicit drugs is urged to call 911 immediately.
Carfentanil has been detected recently in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.
