Local health officials are sounding the alarm after a drug sample sold as cocaine in the Kingston area was found to contain a potentially lethal cocktail of illicit substances and no actual cocaine.
The warning comes after a client brought the substance to the drug checking program at the Integrated Care Hub (ICH). Tests revealed the powder was actually a mixture of fentanyl, ketamine, MDMA, caffeine, and medetomidine — a potent animal tranquillizer.
“It could have potentially been deadly to this person,” said Justine McIsaac, co-ordinator of consumption and treatment services at the ICH. “It’s just an assortment of very dangerous substances, especially when somebody is using them unknowingly.”
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Public health officials say the discrepancy between what users think they are buying and what they actually consume is a major driver of overdose risk. In this case, a user expecting the stimulant effects of cocaine would instead be ingesting powerful opioids and sedatives.
“The person who brought forward this sample, they didn’t intend to take those substances,” said Rhonda Lovell, a public health nurse. “So if you’re not intending to take the things that are in there, then your experience with that might be quite different than what you expect.”
Kingston Police emphasize that the volatility of the illicit market makes any street purchase a gamble.
“Obviously, any time you’re purchasing something from somebody on the street you don’t know 100 per cent what’s in it,” said Anthony Colangeli, a media relations officer with Kingston Police.
Harm reduction advocates are urging anyone using street drugs to exercise extreme caution. McIsaac recommends users never use alone and always carry naloxone (Narcan), even if it’s stimulants, as cross-contamination is becoming increasingly common.
Officials continue to encourage residents to use local drug checking services to verify substances before consumption.
— With files from Global News’ Fawwaz Muhammad-Yusuf
Kingston drug sample sold as cocaine contained fentanyl, animal tranquillizer
