The NWT’s chief public health officer is warning residents after “a dangerous drug combination” was found in Hay River.
In a Wednesday public health advisory, Dr Kami Kandola said a bag of beige powder seized on September 11 tested positive for carfentanil, cocaine and phenacetin.
According to Kandola, this is the first time that carfentanil, a highly toxic synthetic opioid, has been found in powdered cocaine in the territory.
Carfentanil is approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
Kandola said the presence of carfentanil in cocaine in the territory is concerning “as the relative strength of this drug could lead to an increase in overdoses and overdose-related deaths.”
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Phenacetin is a pain-relieving and fever-reducing drug which was withdrawn from the market in Canada in 1973 due to side effects related to kidney damage.
Wednesday’s health advisory states the NWT experienced seven opioid-related deaths across five communities in 2024.
Kandola said people should call 911 if they suspect someone is experiencing an overdose. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people involved in an overdose from being charged for possessing illicit drugs to encourage people to call for help.
