Latest news with #opioid
CBC
11 hours ago
- CBC
RCMP issue province-wide alert about fake pill suspected in death of Edmonton area teen
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.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Riverside County health officials confirm first fatal overdose of opioid used as animal tranquilizer
Riverside County Public Health officials have confirmed the first fatal carfentanil overdose in the county, after a man in his 40s died from consuming the synthetic opioid earlier this year. Carfentanil is a fentanyl derivative that is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The death occurred in March, and county health officials noted that it can take months to confirm the cause of death. Carfentanil was developed for use as a tranquilizer in large animals, such as elephants, and due to its potency, even a microscopic amount can cause a fatal overdose, according to the DEA. "This white, powdery drug closely resembles other substances like fentanyl or cocaine, but its danger far exceeds that of nearly any other opioid on the street," the DEA wrote. Its popularity in the illicit drug market is rising, the agency said, with most of the carfentanil seizures in 2024 being in a pill or tablet form. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, U.S. deaths with carfentanil detected increased approximately sevenfold, from 29 deaths in the first six months of 2023 to 238 during the same period in 2024. The DEA noted that carfentanil has been found mixed with other drugs or pressed into pills that look like prescription painkillers, often to increase drug potency and profits. Users may be unaware they are consuming carfentanil. Exposure to carfentanil can cause respiratory depression or arrest, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, and clammy skin. The onset of these symptoms usually occurs within minutes of exposure. Treating or preventing a carfentanil overdose is difficult, as the antidote naloxone may not work in its normal doses, and fentanyl strips may not detect carfentanil.
Medscape
5 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
Rapid Rx Quiz: Opioid Overdose
Recent efforts in prevention, treatment, and harm reduction have led to encouraging signs of progress in the opioid epidemic. Increased public awareness, expanded access to naloxone, and evolving prescribing practices have all contributed to a decline in overdose deaths. However, due to the widespread availability of synthetic opioids (particularly fentanyl), clinicians must remain vigilant because overdose presentations are becoming increasingly complex and resistant to standard interventions. Effective management requires rapid clinical decision-making and a thorough understanding of opioid pharmacology and toxicity. How much do you know about managing opioid overdose? Test yourself with this quick quiz. Activation of cardiac opioid receptors during overdose leads to membrane hyperpolarization and increased vagal tone. These effects promote bradycardia and peripheral vasodilation, both of which can lead to hypotension. In addition, systemic histamine release can further intensify vasodilation and might result in profound hypotension. Learn more about the pathophysiology of opioid toxicity. According to ASAM guidelines, naloxone should be administered to all pregnant women experiencing an opioid overdose to prioritize maternal survival. Delaying or withholding naloxone during overdose due to concerns about fetal effects is not recommended. Although naloxone might precipitate opioid withdrawal, this risk is outweighed by the need to reverse potentially fatal respiratory depression. Learn more about the presentation of opioid toxicity. Buprenorphine has an exceptionally high affinity for the mu opioid receptor, making it difficult to displace with naloxone. A bolus dose of naloxone is recommended to achieve a high enough serum concentration to begin competitively binding at these receptor sites. Continuous infusion alone might be insufficient to rapidly reverse respiratory depression without an initial bolus. Hemodialysis is not an effective treatment for buprenorphine overdose, and avoiding dialysis is not a relevant consideration. Although benzodiazepines are commonly co-ingested with buprenorphine and might contribute to respiratory depression, this does not explain the need for a naloxone bolus, because naloxone does not reverse benzodiazepine effects. Buprenorphine has a long half-life compared to many other opioid drugs, but this affects the duration of monitoring and the potential need for prolonged naloxone infusion, not the decision to administer a bolus dose. Learn more about buprenorphine/naloxone toxicity. Recommended criteria for emergency department discharge following 6-12 hours of observation after naloxone reversal of opioid overdose include an oxygen saturation ≥ 92% on room air. Other criteria include a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15, a respiratory rate ≥ 10 breaths/min, and blood pressure between 110/90 mm Hg and 140/90 mm Hg. These parameters help confirm sustained clinical stability following naloxone reversal. Learn more about emergency department care of opioid toxicity. Fentanyl exhibits a biphasic plasma concentration profile, with an initial peak followed by a decline. However, in overdose, secondary plasma peaks might occur 45-60 minutes or even hours later, a phenomenon referred to as 'fentanyl rebound.' These delayed increases in fentanyl concentration have been linked to new or recurrent respiratory depression, sometimes requiring additional naloxone. Nalmefene injection or nalmefene intranasal are other options for treating fentanyl overdose. Nalmefene has a longer half-life than naloxone. Despite rapid hepatic metabolism, fentanyl has a prolonged and variable duration of effect due to redistribution into peripheral tissues. Because fentanyl is highly lipophilic, it readily accumulates in tissues like muscle and fat, especially with repeated use. Fentanyl-induced skeletal muscle rigidity, including the chest wall rigidity known as wooden chest syndrome, typically occurs within minutes of exposure. This complication can make airway management more difficult in overdose scenarios. Learn more about fentanyl.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Trump-signed fentanyl law will end ‘cat and mouse' with traffickers, state attorneys general say
President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday that classifies fentanyl-related drugs as more dangerous substances as part of the president's broader crackdown on the country's opioid epidemic. The bill, called the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act, was a Republican-led effort but gained wide bipartisan support in the House and Senate. It places fentanyl-related substances permanently into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which means crimes related to the illicit drugs will require prison sentences. More than two dozen Republican state attorneys general previously urged Congress to pass the bill, calling it "vital" to addressing a "cataclysmic surge of overdose deaths" in the United States in a letter to congressional leaders. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson told Fox News Digital just before Trump signed the bill that even though laws already impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug traffickers who sell fentanyl, the bill addresses fentanyl analogues, which are synthetic opioids similar in structure to the original drug. "When a Chinese chemist or a Mexican cartel chemist changes one molecule, changes one component of the fentanyl drug, they actually make it difficult for federal prosecutors to go after them," Wilson said, adding that the new law will end what has become a game of "cat and mouse" for prosecutors. Schedule I drugs are those that have no government-approved medical use. Fentanyl analogues had been temporarily classified under that schedule, but the new bill permanently codifies it. Opioids and synthetic opioids are the top two causes of drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug overdoses declined in 2024 but still remain the leading cause of death for Americans 18–44 years old, according to the agency. Critics of the HALT Fentanyl Act, who include some Democrats and civil rights groups, warned that harmless substances that do not warrant mandatory prison time could get swept up in the "fentanyl analogue" category and that the bill does nothing to address the root causes of substance abuse. "It's shocking that lawmakers still believe we can police our way out of a public health crisis — despite over fifty years of evidence to the contrary," Liz Komar, counsel at the Sentencing Project, said in a statement. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird supported the stricter sentencing practices, telling Fox News Digital she has witnessed firsthand as the top cop in her state how "those sentences protect victims" and "help get justice for victims, for our communities." "I really think the only people that could be against [the HALT Fentanyl Act] would be the drug cartels, because they have so much to lose by us cracking down on fentanyl and the money that they make by poisoning thousands of Americans," Bird said. Among those attending Trump's bill signing in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday were several of the attorneys general, congressional leaders, immigration groups and families who have lost loved ones to addictions and overdoses. Gregory Swan spoke about his son Drew, who died from a fentanyl overdose at 24 years old. He was prescribed painkillers after a sports injury, which spurred his addiction. "It's the honor of my life to be here," Swan said while holding a framed picture of his son. "Drew was — the happiest day of my life was when he was born, and he always called me his hero until the day he died. And his passing ruined, I thought, my life. … There is despair and there's hopelessness. But, we've been able to find some repose in going out and advocating." The new bill came as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to curb overdose deaths and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the country. Just one day prior, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting Drug Enforcement Administrator Robert Murphy announced recent major drug bust operations and an update on their seizures of fentanyl, widely known for being highly potent in minuscule doses. Authorities warn that overdoses can occur because more innocuous drugs, such as Adderall, can be laced with it, unbeknownst to the consumer. The DEA has this year seized over 44 million fentanyl pills and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, Bondi said, adding that federal authorities have made 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests. "I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill," the attorney general said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
City, county to invest $4 million in smaller substance-abuse service providers
Jul. 16—Some of the money from a massive opioid settlement should soon begin flowing to nonprofits that provide services to people with substance use disorders. The city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County plan to award $4 million in grants to build capacity in local behavioral health providers, officials said Wednesday. The initiative marks the first time the two local governments have pooled funds accumulated from the opioid settlement to pay for a joint project. Each chipped in $2 million to pay for the grant program for behavioral health providers. "The purpose of this money is really to help the smaller nonprofits to be better positioned to be sustainable," said Dr. Wayne Lindstrom, Bernalillo County deputy manager for behavioral health. New Mexico brought lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and retailers and reached settlements in 2022 and 2023 that were expected to bring up to $1 billion to the state to repair damage caused by the opioid crisis. Albuquerque and Bernalillo County are expected to receive more than $150 million as their portions of the settlements. The city so far has received about $30 million and county about $24 million, with incremental annual funding expected to continue through 2038, officials estimated Wednesday. So far, the two governments have spent a portion of the funding. In April, Albuquerque allocated $4.5 million to three Gateway Center projects — intended to alleviate drug use and homelessness. Bernalillo County has allocated about $1.2 million for a public awareness and education initiative called Keep New Mexico Alive. The joint request for proposals marks the first substantive appropriation for the county and the first joint initiative with the city of Albuquerque. The city and county last week issued a joint request for proposals inviting small-and mid-size nonprofits with an annual operating budgets of $2 million or less to submit proposals. The intent of the initiative is to "grow, train and sustain services here locally to alleviate the impact of the opioid epidemic," said Ellen Braden, Albuquerque's deputy director of special projects and innovations. "The City Council and the County Commission were real clear in their legislation that this pot of money is really intended for capacity building." Nonprofits have until Aug. 7 to submit their proposals. The process of scoring the proposals and selecting the winners could take up to 90 days, Lindstrom said. "We would hope that, by the fourth quarter of the calendar (year), this money will be out the door," Lindstrom said. The money could be used for training staff, building capacity or other uses, he said. For example, nonprofits that serve Medicaid patients but aren't set up to receive reimbursements could use the money to pursue the complex process of becoming Medicaid providers, Lindstrom said. The city has spent substantially more of the settlement money than the county. In May, Mayor Tim Keller signed legislation that allocated $4.5 million from opioid settlement money to fund three Gateway Center projects intended to alleviate drug use and homelessness in Albuquerque. The largest allocation, $2.25 million, was designated for a Medical Sobering Center to provide detoxification services for up to 50 people. That facility is expected to open later this summer. Another $1.4 million was allocated to the First Responder Receiving Area, a facility where police and other first responders can transport individuals in need of drug and mental health services outside regular hours. Another $950,000 was allocated to Gateway Recovery, a city-owned community of 46 tiny homes where individuals recovering from addiction can reside and receive treatment for a year. Solve the daily Crossword
