At 5,000 times the potency of heroin, purple fentanyl has been reported in Guelph.
Police said in a press release that the drug was the suspected cause of two overdoses in recent days in the city.
“We are worried if it’s just one batch or other batches in the community,” said Cst. Josh Fraser.
The two overdoses happened in different areas of the city.
Due to its prevalence on the street, tracking down the dealer is a difficult task for police.
“It’s actually easier to access fentanyl on the street than it is prescription medications,” said Christina Hughes, a registered nurse at the city’s overdose prevention site.
Last week, the city's Public Health Unit put out an alert after five people in Guelph had overdosed on the same drug, bringing the total to seven.
“If you are going to be using illegal drugs, make sure you do it in the company of your friends. The safe injection site is available to users,” Cst. Fraser said, while noting that Guelph Police do not condone drug use.
The overdose prevention site’s effectiveness is tied to its operating hours, which are 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The executive director of the site said she’s looking at that as one of the focuses for the sites going forward.
