Saint John police issue public safety alert over powerful opioid carfentanil

The Saint John Police Force has issued a public safety alert about the drug carfentanil after the coroner's office confirmed the powerful opioid was involved in two recent sudden deaths.

Carfentanil is a "dangerous" drug that maybe circulating in the community,said spokesperson Staff Sgt. Sean Rocca.

It is normally used as a tranquilizer forlarge animals. It is not approved for human use.

Carfentanil is estimated to be approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 timesmore potent than fentanyl, Rocca said in a news release.

Its effects include the inability to feel pain, euphoria, sedation, and respiratory depression that may lead to death.

On Wednesday,Saint John police received lab results from the coroner's office intwo sudden deaths cases that occurred in January and February. They confirmed the presence of carfentanil in blood that had "reached clinically toxic levels," according to the release.

Both deathsremain under investigation by police and the coroner's office, including the source of the drugand the final cause of death, Rocca said.

No other details have been released.

"Due to the [drug's] potency, it is a public safety concern," Rocca said in an emailed statement.

Carfentanil normally comes in the form of a white powdery substance that may appear similar to cocaine, said Rocca. It could, however, come in different forms, he cautioned.

Health Canada warns carfentaniland fentanyl are particularly dangerous because theycan be fatal "even in very small amounts," and can be mixed with, or disguised and sold as street drugs, such as cocaine, heroinandcounterfeit prescription drugs such as Oxycodone.

"The Saint John Police advises members of the public to not ingest any drug that is not approved for human consumption andprescribed or recommended by a physician," Rocca said.

He could not immediately provide a local street price for carfentanil, but said fentanyl can sell for $300 to $500 per gram.