Carfentanil a 'game changer' in Windsor's drug world

The official arrival of the deadly drug carfentanil is being described as a game changer for Windsor's emergency responders, frontline service workers and addicts.

• Windsor records first overdose death from deadly carfentanil drug

Everyone handling the drug, which was originally designed as a tranquilizer for large animals, could be killed even by accidentally touching or inhaling it. Ingesting the equivalent of two grains of salt can be lethal, according to health officials.

There had been talk for months among police and health care providers about carfentanil making its way into the community, only to be confirmed last week when toxicology reports showed a man overdosed on the drug this summer.

• Elephant sedative carfentanil becomes deadly street drug

He was found dead on the front porch of a Dougall Avenue home in June with a suspicious white powder located near the body.

When paramedics arrived, the home was quickly taken over by a police hazmat team because Windsor-EssexEMS crews are"highly trained" to be on the lookout for suspicious powders, said Justin Lammers, the group's deputy chief of professional standards.

"Scene assessment is our No. 1 priority," he said. "We're looking for hazards, threats ... anything that would pose a threat to our paramedics."

Always on the lookout

Now thatcarfentanilhas been identified in the community, paramedics will be on high alert, looking out for their own safety as well as the public's.

"Obviously there's an increased level of risk now that we have a confirmed case,"Lammerssaid.

Confirming the presence ofcarfentanilmay force people to take more care when using drugs that could be laced with the extremely dangerous substance, according toByron Klingbyle, harm-reduction co-ordinator with the AIDS Committee of Windsor.

But, for the most part, he worries the risks just don't outweigh the overall power of drug addiction.

"There is cause for concern. Addiction is a powerful force," he said. "It's not going to change them from using, but hopefully they can take some type of precaution."

Drug dealers are attracted tocarfentanilbecause it is so inexpensive, considering how little of it is required when mixing with other substances. But the wrong mixture can be fatal.

"How do you break that up and cut that up into individual doses?"Klingbylesaid. "Joe the drug dealer, how is he doing it? Are you going to (bet) your life that this guy is mixing it properly?"

Overdose numbers spike

Paramedics have also seen a massive spike in the number of overdoses in just the past year. Crews have administerednaloxonelife-saving antidotes used to counteract overdoses of theopioidfentanyl-- at a much higher rate.

In all of 2016, paramedics used the kits 52 times, compared to the 62 already used so far this year. At that rate, Windsor-Essex EMS are on pace to use about 82 overdose antidotes. That's a whopping 40 per cent increase.

"There is an issue with opioids on our streets and we're doing everything we can to keep people safe and combat it," Lammers said.