WINNIPEG — Police in Winnipeg say fentanyl is an epidemic that is responsible for a growing number of deaths that now include two more suspected fatal overdoses.
Const. Jason Michalyshen said officers were called on Sunday to a downtown hotel, where staff discovered the body of a 30-year-old man who had been staying there. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found at the scene.
About nine hours later, police and paramedics were called to a south-end home where two men, who were 21 and 22 years old, were in medical distress. Investigators say illegal drugs were in the home.
The 22-year-old died and the 21-year-old remained in critical condition on Monday, Michalyshen said.
Tests were being done to determine whether fentanyl — an opioid used as a painkiller for terminally ill cancer patients and 100 times more powerful than heroin — played a role in both cases.
"It's quite clear what we're dealing with, the epidemic that we're seeing in our community," Michalyshen said. "We're not going to shy away from it."
The bodies of a man and two women were found in a northwest Winnipeg home last week. A white powder was discovered in the residence and investigators said fentanyl was suspected in the deaths.
Last month, a nine-month-old boy was rushed to hospital after being exposed to carfentanil, a drug so powerful just a few grains can be fatal.
"Each and every one of these instances should raise the eyebrows of every single Winnipegger and every single Manitoban," Michalyshen said. "This is a problem that we need to deal with."
The city's firefighters' union has said that the city is facing a fentanyl crisis and first responders are dealing with multiple overdoses every day.
The British Columbia government declared a public health emergency in April because of a dramatic increase in overdose deaths in that province, many of them caused by fentanyl. A new liquid form of the drug turned up this year in Hamilton, Ont.
It's mind-boggling that people continue to put themselves at risk given how dangerous the opioid is, Michalyshen said. Police say fentanyl and carfentanil can be mixed with other drugs such as cocaine or crystal meth, so users may not even know they are ingesting it until it is too late.
"You're not going to see it. You're not going to smell it. You're not going to taste it," Michalyshen said. "Regardless of what your drug of choice is, if it's (fentanyl) contained within and you don't know it, it can kill you. Bottom line."
