A vehicle stopped in the Sahtu in March was carrying “a new and potentially dangerous” form of fentanyl, the NWT’s chief public health officer says.
Tests show fentanyl seized from a car between Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope contained Desalkylgidazepam, the territory said.
According to the GNWT, this is a rare type of depressant developed in the former Soviet Union and “known for its anxiety-reducing properties.”
Mixing it with an opioid like fentanyl “may cause the effects of the drug to last longer or to be more potent, and naloxone will not be as effective,” an advisory issued on Wednesday stated.
This is the first time this combination has turned up in the NWT.
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The two together could increase the risk of overdose, “prolong and intensify sedation [and] cause serious breathing problems, unconsciousness or death,” the advisory warned.
Specialist tests were required to detect it, chief public health officer Dr Kami Kandola’s office said, which is why the drugs were found in March but the results are only being reported now.
Without that kind of test, there is no way to tell that the two drugs have been mixed together.
For more information about the drugs, the health risks and what to do if you suspect an overdose, read the full advisory.
Correction: May 8, 2025 – 8:44 MT. This article initially spelled the depressant involved “Desalkylgudazepam,” copying an error in a GNWT advisory. The GNWT has since corrected its spelling of Desalkylgidazepam – there’s an I in the middle, not a U – and we have updated this article to reflect the correct spelling.
