Carfentanil has been in Winnipeg for months, recovering addict says
User claims she unknowingly took carfentanil after being told it was fentanyl
A recovering drug user says carfentanil was on Winnipeg streets for several months before police announced a large seizure of the deadly drug in September.
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The woman, who the CBC is calling Amanda, said she overdosed on carfentanil in April and nearly died. She also said she's used Naloxone kits — the injectable medication capable of reversing an overdose — on friends who have overdosed on the deadly drug, and she worries the current kits being handed out to drug users might not be enough.
"The carfentanil is so strong that [Naloxone] just basically got their breathing back to normal; they were still out," Amanda said.
Police to carry Naloxone kits
Carfentanil is similar to fentanyl — itself a very powerful synthetic opiate — and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It is used to knock out very large animals, such as elephants and moose.
In its pure form, it looks similar to table salt, and 20 micrograms — or a 50,000th (.00002) of a gram — is enough to kill a person.
Winnipeg Police Service Deputy Chief Danny Smyth said it appears there were three overdose-related deaths last week alone. The ongoing crisis has prompted police to say they'll start carrying Naloxone kits as soon as possible.
'[Fentanyl] is the one drug that when you don't have it, you're in full-blown withdrawal and crying for your mom'- Amanda
At first Amanda didn't realize she was taking carfentanil — she was told it was fentanyl — but she did hear rumours, she said.
"You hear these things. You never know what's true."
She said she's worried about her friends who are still using.
When asked why a drug user would take the risk and use fentanyl or carfentanil, she said the withdrawal from these new powerful opiates is "like nothing I've experienced before."
"If you put all of the drugs all on the table, this is the one drug that when you don't have it, you're in full-blown withdrawal and crying for your mom."
Winning the war on opiates
Although fentanyl and carfentanil frequently have been in the news recently, Amanda said her friends tell her the drugs are getting harder to find.
"With the [fentanyl] task force and recent busts, it's been putting a strain on opiate users who use fentanyl."
She thinks Winnipeg may be on the right track to winning the war against these deadly drugs.
To users, Amanda said don't lose hope.
"I've been there. I've been on every single drug you can think of and it sucks, and you feel like you're stuck and there's no hope," she said.
"You have to realize [help] is not just given to you. You have to seek it out and find the light inside you to work it out. If you want to live, you'll do it."
If you have anything to add to this story please email the author at leif.larsen@cbc.ca.