Over a span of 48 hours on the weekend, police in Moose Jaw responded to three sudden deaths in 48 hours that were linked to fentanyl. This has prompted police across the province to warn about illicit drugs, and the possibility of those drugs being either tainted or compromised. 

“If you’re using illicit drugs, you need to be very concerned about that,” explained Sgt. Shane St. John with the Weyburn Police Service. “It’s happening everywhere, and of course here we’ve had lots of overdoses over the years, and some fatalities and you never know what you’re ingesting with the drugs nowadays.” 

St. John pointed out that as it is an illegal enterprise, product and quality control aren’t exactly top of mind. Additionally, there are a lot of chemicals that come into Canada from overseas that are quite cheap, and these end up getting added to various drugs.  

“You maybe think you’re getting cocaine, and it’s not cocaine at all,” St. John warned. “Maybe there’s a little bit of cocaine in there, but it could be fentanyl, it could be other chemicals. You just don’t know what they’re putting in it anymore.” 

The most prevalent drugs when it comes to overdoses in recent years have been opioids. This includes drugs such as fentanyl, hydromorphone, heroin and others. The signs of a potential overdose can be fairly obvious, according to Sgt. St. John. They include shallow breathing and unconsciousness.  

A few other signs of a potential opioid overdose include blue lips or nails, pinpoint pupils, cold and clammy skin, and choking sounds. 

In an overdose situation, it is advised to call 911 immediately, and if it is available, administer Narcan, or naloxone, to the person. Even if the person comes too after naloxone is administered, Sgt. St. John says a call to 911 is still needed. 

“They could go back under right away without supervision as someone might think they’re alright, and then they could pass away from that, so they need medical attention as soon as possible.” 

When calling 911, there shouldn’t be any fear of getting in trouble with the police for the possession of illicit drugs at the scene. In Canada, there is a Good Samaritan Overdose Act, which has a simple purpose – to make sure the person overdosing gets saved. 

“There’s many, many, many we have gone to,” Sgt. St. John said of 911 calls that were responded to in an overdose situation. “Thank God, they had phoned us, and we were first on the scene and did administer our Narcan to bring them back, or we’ve started CPR after the fact of giving Narcan. So, unfortunately, I hate to say it, our officers have responded to many of these and have gotten rather proficient at going to these.” 

For those who suspect they may have tainted drugs, Sgt. St. John advised you can turn those drugs into the Weyburn Police Service. He advised those who turn those drugs in wouldn’t get into trouble, as they don’t want to see anyone harmed by the drugs.