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Making the case for a supervised injection site in Red Deer

Discovery of carfentanil in city hall washroom
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(File photo by Advocate staff)

The discovery of drugs in a main floor city hall washroom is helping make the case for a supervised drug consumption site in Red Deer, says the executive director of Turning Point.

On Wednesday security escorted a suspicious male out of city hall and later found a suspicious substance that turned out to be carfentanil, a drug that is 100 times more toxic than fentanyl.

“Carfentanil is a serious, extremely lethal drug,” said Stacey Carmichael on Friday.

“Thank goodness they caught him and escorted him out and he didn’t end up using carfentanil in the bathroom at city hall because he likely would have overdosed and died.

“They inadvertently saved this gentleman’s life and it just reinforces the fact that supervised consumption services are needed in this community. Had he injected in a supervised consumption site we could have made sure he was revived and stayed alive.”

A synthetic opioid, carfentanil is 10,000 times more toxic than morphine. Carfentanil looks much like table salt and a dose as small as 20 micrograms would be fatal to humans.

When the substance was confirmed as containing carfentanil, city hall was evacuated Thursday afternoon and Red Deer Emergency Services’ Hazardous Materials Response Unit attended.

Carmichael said people don’t intend to use carfentanil. It’s mixed into the drugs without their knowledge.

“Every day we hear stories about bad drugs or different drugs coming into town. They’re always at risk.”

Turning Point, a harm reduction agency, is a member of the Red Deer Coalition on the Opioid Crisis that recently determined the city does need a consumption site. The results of the coalition’s study have been submitted to the province which is the next step in getting a local consumption site.

Edmonton and Lethbridge have already received Health Canada approval to offer safe consumption sites for opioid drugs.

Red Deer City Council has asked for additional community consultation and that will be done before the coalition submits its federal application.

Carmichael said Turning Point is getting calls about people injecting drugs in community washrooms more often now that winter is coming.

“We don’t want people injecting drugs. We don’t want people injecting drugs in public bathrooms. We want people to recover from their addiction.”

But addictions are so complex that they essentially need to get high and unfortunately they face significant risks, she said.



szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com

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