Carfentanil not the reason patient in North Bay ended up in hospital, says health unit

Test results in North Bay, Ont. have come back negative for the dangerous synthetic opioid carfentanil, according to the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit.

• Carfentanil suspected in North Bay overdose

Public health officials raised concern earlier in May over a suspected overdose after a patient was admitted to hospital, complaining of difficulty breathing and subsequently passing out after injecting what the patient believed was cocaine. Very large doses naloxone were successfully used to treat the individual.

"Our main priority at the health unit is to protect the public," Dr. Jim Chirico, the medical officer of health told CBC news..

"Carfentanil is such a lethaldrug.If it is in the community and if it is in some of the street drugs it certainly can be deadly."

Chiricocouldn't specify further results from the toxicology tests. Headded that even though this test turned out to negative, there's always a danger of the drug being present.

Carfentanil, which is 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, is commonly used by veterinarians to tranquilize large animals like elephants and horses.

Chirco saysif using drugs, have someone available who can call for help and call 911 immediately if something doesn't feel right.