N.B. issues warning to public after 9 sudden drug-related deaths
New Brunswick Health is warning the public about a dangerous drug known as bromazolam after several recent deaths in the province.
Dr. Yves Léger, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health, says the drug has been detected in blood samples from nine sudden death investigations – the first indication that the drug is being used in New Brunswick.
"The coroner's service is the one responsible for investigating certain deaths, including suspected overdose deaths, and during the course of their investigations, certainly when they suspect overdoses, they will run a series of tests to check for a variety of different drugs," said Léger.
"In this case, bromazolam came up as being present in these nine cases. This was a first in New Brunswick and certainly with the number of deaths where this was found was certainly of concern to them [Coroner's Office] and that's when they reached out to us and based on our review, felt there was an ongoing risk in the New Brunswick drug supply, which warranted us to make a release to inform the public."
The province says fentanyl was also detected in some of the cases.
Léger calls the emergence of bromazolam in New Brunswick a “major concern.”
“What is especially concerning is that people do not know it is contained in their street drugs,” he said in a news release Friday. “There are no warning signs of Bromazolam’s presence, as it cannot be detected by sight, smell or taste. There are no telltale signs.”
The nine deaths took place from July to November.
Léger added there may still be a risk to drug users since testing for bromazolam can take months to complete.
The drug can lead to serious adverse effects, including death, especially when taken with opioids such as fentanyl. Léger says there are also concerns about people combining benzodiazepines, like bromazolam, with opioids. The combination increases the risk of overdose and death.
Public Health also warns that naloxone, often used to prevent overdoses, has no effect on benzodiazepines.
The department says it is contacting frontline organizations that work with people using street drugs about how to lower the risk of overdose and death.
Léger says some of those measures include:
- Try not to use alone, if at all possible, or tell someone that you're going to be using so that they can check up on you.
- Don't mix different types of drugs.
- Do testers to test the strength of drugs by trying a small amount first.
- Have naloxone on hand. In New Brunswick, take-home naloxone kits are available.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.