Mounties warn of laced pills
RCMP suspect counterfeit oxycodone being distributed in Yellowknife
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Friday, February 21, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife RCMP are warning of counterfeit painkillers in the city, hoping to shield prescription drug abusers from potential overdoses.
- counterfeit pills resemble oxycodone but may be green in colour
- some stamped with "80" or "10" and "CDN"
- known as green monsters, green jellies, green beans or street oxy
Source: Yellowknife RCMP
|
They believe oxycodone - a painkiller, often referred to by the brand name OxyContin - is being laced with a more powerful drug which could be dangerous for addicts.
Sgt. Marc Coulombe, spokesperson for the RCMP in Yellowknife, said he thinks some of the tampered pills have made their way into the city.
"We haven't seized any yet, but we basically want to advise those who are using illicit drugs they may not be getting what they think they are."
RCMP suspect the pills are being laced with another painkiller, Fentynl, which is many times stronger than oxycodone.
"They're taking a lot more drug than they think they're getting," Coulombe said.
Pills seized by police in other jurisdictions had up to 89 per cent Fentanyl in them, RCMP warned.
Some pills are being laced with Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety drug, as well as Ketamine, a sedative, RCMP say.
Although prescription drug abuse doesn't seem to have a high profile in the Northwest Territories, Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny, who owns the Shoppers Drug Mart outlet in Yellowknife, says he's been lobbying the government to do something about it for years.
"Unfortunately, they don't track it," Dolynny said. "They claim they don't have the ability to."
The lack of oversight means there are less controls in place for "high-profile" prescription drugs, Dolynny said.
"We are ripe for a huge epidemic of prescription abuse."
Dolynny said there have been 17 prescription drug overdoses in the territory between 2009 and 2012, referring to recently released figures from the chief coroner's office.
RCMP urge anyone with information regarding illegal prescription drugs to contact them or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.
