RCMP issue province-wide alert about fake pill suspected in death of Edmonton area teen

CBC

5 days ago

Alberta RCMP have issued a province-wide alert after an Edmonton-area teen died after taking a powerful and uncommon opioid meant to replicate a well-known prescription drug.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Troy Savinkoff confirmed that a 16-year-old boy was found deceased in the Edmonton region from an apparent overdose in early July, and a piece of this replica drug was found on his person.
Savinkoff said the pill was made to look like the recognizable anti-anxiety, prescription medication called Xanax, but in reality, it was actually Isotonitazene, a rare and highly potent opioid drug.
Alberta RCMP is warning the public to be on the lookout for these potentially deadly replica pills.
"This type of [opioid] has such a risk and potential lethality that I think it's something that we as police really want to get on top of quickly and inform the public … and prevent it from spreading to other areas of the province."
Savinkoff stated that the pills have only been found in the Edmonton area currently. In June, Edmonton police intercepted a package containing several hundred fake Xanax pills containing Isotonitazene.
Savinkoff said that drugs often come into major centres like Edmonton and can be quickly trafficked to other parts of the province. He noted that the replica pills are already appearing in other parts of the Edmonton region.
In an RCMP news release, the replica pills were described as grey, with a rectangular shape, and imprinted with the letters "ONAX" on one side and the number "2" on the other.
An opioid drug disguised as a non-opioid drug like Xanax is uncommon and highly concerning, said Richelle Booker, a forensic pharmacologist with Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams.
"To mix between drug classes like this is highly unusual. To see an opioid pressed to resemble a sedative, I haven't seen that very often," said Booker.
"It's hugely problematic because people who are expecting a drug such as Xanax are not likely to be prepared for a highly potent opioid like Isotonitazene."
Booker said Isotonitazene began to appear on the unregulated drug market in Canada in 2019. She noted that this form of opioid is particularly dangerous because — unlike more common opioids like Fentanyl — there is a significant lack of clinical evaluation of Isotonitazene.
"It has never been clinically evaluated for use in humans. It's not intended to be used in humans. It isn't used anywhere in the world clinically in humans. So there's a lot of unknowns in terms of how this drug will behave when it's used by people," Booker said.
Booker said that there is "absolutely no way to use [Isotonitazene] safely and there is no known safe dose of Isotonitazene."
Savinkoff said a quick conversation between a parent and their child about this fake drug could prevent more young Albertans from potentially lethal overdosing on isotonitazene.