Red Deer's Temporary Overdose Prevention Site next to Safe Harbour.

By Sheldon Spackman

Landscape Changing

New drug mixture leading to spike in overdoses in Red Deer

Aug 9, 2019 | 2:03 PM

A local organization providing harm reduction services throughout central Alberta is raising the alarm over a new mixture of drugs hitting the streets – aligning with a spike in overdoses last month.

Sarah Fleck, clinical manager at Turning Point in Red Deer says there is something beyond opioids being mixed into the drugs their clients are using, resulting in different types of reactions than previously seen before.

“It initially looks the same so people have the depressed respiration but then they’re also appearing very drowsy,” explains Fleck. “But what we’re seeing after administration of naloxone and use of oxygen to reverse the opioid overdose, is that people are remaining in a semi-level of consciousness or decreased level of consciousness compared to what we’re used to. Sometimes they can remain in that level of consciousness for up to several hours after they’ve already had naloxone.”

Fleck says it’s indicative there is likely some sort of long-acting benzodiazepine, also a central nervous system depressant acting in addition to the opioid. Something Alberta Health Services (AHS) issued a Public Notice on in June.

“We first started noticing it in early June but there was just a couple of cases,” recalls Fleck. “Then in July, it definitely peaked for us in terms of how many overdoses there were but also the type of overdose and the more robust medical response that was required to reverse the overdose.”

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Fleck says these recent developments are concerning from both a community and drug-supply perspective.

“Our clients are used to using opiates and are dependent on them but the addition of alternate substances into the mixture just makes the drug supply very unsafe for anybody who uses substances of any kind,” declares Fleck. “I think the biggest danger from a community perspective is people who are using outside and who are reversing an overdose, are used to somebody waking up and being responsive like that. So there carries an increased risk for people who remain in that semi-conscious state in the community, which is why administration of naloxone is really important but follow-up care with 911 is crucial.”

Unfortunately, Fleck says they don’t know the source of this new drug mixture.

“I know that it’s being seen in Calgary and Edmonton and was seen in Vancouver a couple of months ago, so I think it’s just a shift in drug supply provincially.”

She acknowledges 4,500 site visits to Red Deer’s Temporary Overdose Prevention Site in July, resulting in 151 overdoses that required medical intervention from Turning Point staff.

“That number is significantly higher for us than previous months,” admits Fleck. “Our highest month was 111 overdoses, so that’s quite a dramatic jump for us. We’re averaging approximately 145 clients accessing the service per day at this time.”

Fleck says the most important message to get out at this time is for anyone using any kind of substance to not use it while they’re alone.

“That they make sure that they have naloxone kits with them and that they have friends who know how to use those naloxone kits,” exclaims Fleck. “We are definitely making the impact we were hoping to. Our mandate opening this site was to save lives and we have reversed over 800 overdoses since our site has opened, so we’re definitely meeting that mandate.”