3 'white fentanyl' overdoses in Guelph prompt public health warning

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health are warning people about white fentanyl after three people overdosed at Guelph's Consumption and Treatment Services site Wednesday.

Staff were able to reverse all three overdoses by using naloxone and oxygen.

Raechelle Devereaux, executive director of GuelphCommunity Health Centre, said the overdoses were a result of white fentanyl.

"The staff were beginning to notice it late last week as a new substance that was in our community and being brought into the site," she said.

Guelph'sConsumption and Treatment Services is operated by the GuelphCommunity Health Centre and has had approximately50 overdoses in the 14 months it has been operating.

"Threein one day, that's significant for the team to manage," she said.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says white fentanylhas a similar consistency to icing sugar and is extremely potent.

Devereaux said staff at the site noticed those who used the drug had "atypical symptoms" such asmuscle rigidity andclenching.

"Typically in an overdose you're seeing delayed breathing ... you're seeing somebody go into a state of non-responsiveness," she said.

"The challenge that was presented [on Wednesday]was that it actually required additional staff to be able to respond to the overdose."

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health are reminding people to carrynaloxone,not use drugs alone and to use the consumption and treatment services siteto reduce the risk of an overdose.