There’s a growing sense of concern in the community following six overdoses in the last week.
Debby Warren, executive director of Ensemble Moncton, says before last Wednesday, there had been no overdoses at their prevention site since it opened in November.
However, that figure has quickly grown to three.
Another two overdoses have also been reported at a temporary warming shelter on Assomption Boulevard, and Warren is aware of one other overdose in the general community.
Fortunately, in all instances, the presence of naloxone, a fast-acting drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, meant nobody died.
The suspected cause is a new batch of a commonly used opioid called “Shady 8,” and known as Isotonitazene, which Health Canada has said is an opioid with similar effects to fentanyl.
A drug referred to as “Shady 8” is the suspected cause of six overdoses in the last week (Image: submitted)
“Where normally they might take one or two pills and not have any adverse reactions such as an overdose, now they’re taking much smaller doses and [overdosing],” Warren says.
At Ensemble, individuals bring their own substances and have access to safe equipment like needles.
Visitors can also have their substance tested through the machines at Ensemble if they want.
“Because people with addictions don’t have access to pharmaceutical grade drugs, they are at risk all the time of overdose, because you’re never quite sure of the source of the substance they’re purchasing, and so in this case it, appears its more potent than normal,” says Warren.
For the time being, Ensemble is encouraging the public to be mindful of a stronger batch on the streets. Warren says it’s also important to have a naloxone kit accessible and someone with you because a person in overdose will be unable to administer the kit.
Warren says in a recent conversation with a colleague in Victoria, B.C., she heard of a spike that occurred last week, where three people using the same product went into overdose and all survived because they were at an overdose prevention site.
However, a fourth person using the same substance just blocks away died.
“It goes to show that if people are at overdose prevention sites, their likelihood of survival are much greater than if they’re out by themselves using,” says Warren.
