Fentanyl – Ft McMurray's Homepage

Fentanyl Responsible for 18 Deaths in Fort McMurray in the Last Year

Fentanyl, a powerful opioid pain medication, has been found at a number of recent raids in the Fort McMurray area, and unfortunately the drug is not new to the region. This commonly abused drug is well established already and it has caused a number of Fort McMurray deaths over the last year according to the Chief Medical Examiner. Wood Buffalo RCMP detachment spokesperson Cpl. George Cameron stated “It seems to be the topic of the day. Years ago, for instance, you’d hear about hash oil and hash…now we’re hearing (fentanyl) more. If there’s an influx of a certain type of drug, it’s going to make its way to anywhere eventually.” The ALERT unit for Alberta, a specialized drug crimes unit, seized close to 3,000 fentanyl pills in Fort McMurray in the 2015 year.

The Fentanyl crisis in Fort McMurray is not over yet either. In recent weeks police have conducted raids on residences where this drug has been found, and Fort McMurray has seen a higher than typical number of overdoses in the last 12 months related to the illegal use of fentanyl. HIV North Society executive director Susan Belcourt-Rothe explained the dangers and stated “If it’s manufactured in some street lab, you’re not going to be as clear as to what you’re actually taking. You’re not going to know the product, you’re not going to know the dosage of fentanyl within that pill.” Naloxene kits are available in Fort McMurray but so far the demand has been low. Belcourt-Rothe said “I think we’ve handed out eight kits to date in Fort McMurray, so it’s a lot slower there than it is in Grande Prairie for sure.”

Timberlea Drug Bust Leads to Fentanyl Seizure, 2nd Time this Powerful Opioid Drug has Been Seized Within a Few Days in the Area

A day after two drug raids resulted in the seizure of hundreds of rounds of ammunition, two handguns, and drugs that included over 100 tablets of the powerful pain medication fentanyl as well as a small amount of cocaine Wood Buffalo police engaged in another drug bust which seized around 200 fentanyl pills plus about $2,000 in cash. Is Wood Buffalo going through an opioid abuse epidemic? From recent events it is clear that there is a drug problem in the community. According to a news release by the Wood Buffalo RCMP the drug raid took place at a residence on Honeysuckle Way, and two individuals were arrested after the residence was searched. In addition to the cash and the fentanyl pills police also seized a 9mm pistol and also 10 grams of cocaine.

After the Timberlea drug bust and the seizure of 200 fentanyl pills operations officer Mark Hancock released a statement that read “Wood Buffalo RCMP and its’ partners are committed to ongoing efforts to reduce the drug trade in this community and making it a priority to deal with offender.” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. George Cameron said “It seems to be the topic of the day. Years ago, for instance, you’d hear about hash oil and hash….but now we’re hearing (Fentanyl) more.” Fentanyl is an opioid drug that is more powerful than morphine, and more dangerous when abused or misused. Health agencies and police across Canada have raised the alarm about the increase in fentanyl on the street and the dangers that this drug poses.