Police confirm presence of deadly carfentanil in Ottawa

Two drug samples sent to Health Canada have tested positive for fentanyl and carfentanil, in what Ottawa police say is the first time carfentanil has been confirmed in street drugs in the city.

The police force received certificates of analysis on Wednesday that showed what was originally considered heroin was actually a combination of the two deadly drugs. There was no heroin in either sample, police said.

Samples were taken from drugs seized by officers on July 31 and Aug. 1.

Carfentanil, considered more dangerous than fentanyl, can be 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

Police and Ottawa Public Health are warning people not to use illegally obtained substances, therefore preventing potentially fatal overdoses. 

"The reality is that there is no reliable way for the user or a peer to confirm what drug is actually being ingested," said Staff Sgt. Rick Carey, a member of the Ottawa police drug unit.

These two deadly drugs are almost undetectable unless tested in a laboratory, police warned in a news release. 

Carfentanil: A drug more deadly than heroin

8 years ago

Duration 1:59

Carfentanil is a highly toxic, man-made opioid that's turning up on Canadian streets. It's dangerous to both the user and the first responders who go to help them.