Surrey RCMP is urging the public to exercise caution due to a particularly potent batch of fentanyl in circulation..Street doses of the synthetic opioid come in a variety of forms, whether it be colour, texture, or pressed into a pill form resembling legitimate prescription drugs. The potency can vary significantly, even in two seemingly identical doses purchased from the same source..The fast-acting and highly addictive opioid has become commonplace in the North American illicit drug markets over the last eight years, and the overdose crisis was declared a public health emergency in BC in 2016..Fentanyl, which is roughly 100 times stronger than morphine, can turn over a substantial profit for dealers while taking up as much space as a small envelope..Despite the incessant cycle of arresting and releasing low to mid-level dealers in Metro Vancouver, drug users continue their consumption with little interruption. Even when police successfully infiltrate the upper echelons of black market hierarchies, the overall impact it has on illicit drug distribution is minuscule..Since the declared emergency, more than 10,000 British Columbians died as a result of illicit drugs — with fentanyl being detected in 88% of the deaths between July 2020 and June 2022..The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates a total of 26,690 opioid toxicity deaths occurred in Canada between January 2016 and September 2021 — with the majority in BC, Alberta, and Ontario..As for 2022, more than 1,400 British Columbians died from toxic drug use by August, according to data from the BC Coroners Service..In light of Surrey’s recent bad batch, police remind people who use drugs to never do so alone, and to always carry Narcan..A supervised consumption site and drug testing services are available within the Fraser Health region..Beginning early next year, British Columbians can carry up to 2.5 grams of opioids, meth, cocaine, and more, without fear of criminal penalties..The exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) will be in effect from Jan. 31, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2026, throughout the entire province..BC is the first Canadian province to receive an exemption under the CDSA..READ MORE: BC to decriminalize small possession of illicit drugs
