Tighter controls announced for deadly drug W-18

The federal government moved Wednesday to addthe synthetic opioidW-18tothe Controlled Drugs and Substances Actand the Restricted Drugs section of theFood and Drug Regulations.

That will makeproduction, possession, importation orexportation and trafficking of the deadly drugillegal.

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"Substances likeW-18are dangerous and have a significant negative impact on some of the most vulnerable people in our society," said federal Health Minister Jane Philpott.

"I am pleased with the swift action that Health Canada has taken to regulate this substance."

Evidence shows that W-18 has been used recreationally in Europe and Canada over the past two years. It has alsobeen found in samples seized by Canadian law enforcementmade to appear like legitimate prescription tablets, likeoxycodone.

The overdose death of a35-year-old Calgary man in March was the first in the province linked toW-18.

Considered extremely dangerous,W-18 can be 100 times stronger than Fentanyl, which has been linked to dozens of deaths across the country in recent years.

W-18 was developed in the 1980s as a potential pain reliever, but never marketed commerciallyand health officials say ithas no legitimate use.

Alberta Health's Dr. Karen Grimsrud explains what W-18 is and where it's coming from

8 years ago

Duration 0:43

Alberta's first fatal overdose linked to W-18 was confirmed in Calgary.