Tests for dangerous drug come back negative

We told you last Friday about a possible Carfentanil overdose in the city.

On Thursday, the health unit said the toxicology report came back negative for that dangerous drug.

The Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jim Chirico says although the tests came back negative there is still concern of the potential presence of this drug in the community.

Last week, a patient at the North Bay Regional Health Centre was experiencing unfamiliar effects after injecting what was believed to be cocaine.

Staff believing the overdose could have been Carfentanil related injected large doses of a reversal agent called Naloxone and the results were successful.

Chirico says Carfentanil can’t be detected by sight, smell or taste but ingesting as little as 2 micrograms of it can be lethal.

He says if using drugs, have someone available who can call for help, test by injecting a small amount first, then go slow, call 911 immediately if something doesn’t feel right.

And if someone has decreased breathing, call 911 and give Naloxone.

Chirico says do not assume your drugs are Carfentanil free – any drug could be mixed with a lethal amount.

He says the drug is 100 times more toxic than Fentanyl and 10,000 times more toxic than Morphine.