'Shady 8': RCMP warns about a powerful new street drug in the Maritimes

A powerful opioid named “Shady 8” has been showing up in the Maritimes in recent weeks.

The drug, which is similar to fentanyl, has been responsible for several overdoses, according to police.

The RCMP says it wants people to be aware of the dangers of the powerful street drug.

“We’ve seen an increase in overdoses, especially in Cumberland County,” said Const. Guillaume Tremblay, public information officer for the Halifax District RCMP, in an interview with CTV Morning Live.

He says, in those cases, officers have had to administer Naloxone, a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids.

Tremblay says the base opioid in “Shady 8” is often smuggled in through Asia and is then turned into pill form by organized crime groups.

“They come in different pill shapes. The ones we’ve seen so far are heart-shaped form with a line and number eight on it,” said Tremblay. “It’s easy to overdose on it.”

Because the pills are often made in unsanitary conditions by untrained workers, Tremblay says you never know what you’re going to get.

“It’s not scientists that are making the pills; it’s just about anyone throwing just about anything in these pills,” he warned.

“We don’t know the contents oftentimes, and the dosage varies greatly from pill to pill.”

With opioid overdoses, Tremblay says one of the signs to watch for are pinpoint pupils that do not react to light.

“They would have severe sleepiness and be very hard to wake up. Their breathing would be very shallow, slow, or even absent if it’s that severe reaction. They might have cold, clammy skin, their body temperature would be lower.”

Tremblay says other signs of an opioid overdose are greyish-blue lips and limp muscles.

He says Nova Scotia also has a free Naloxone take-home kit program.

“Anyone in the public can obtain these kits. You can look through the websites, attend the pharmacy, attend the training. It’s important to note that those are injections compared to the nasal spray that our officers carry,” said Tremblay.

But Naloxone is only the first step in saving someone’s life, said Tremblay. He urges people to call 911 immediately if an overdose is suspected.

“The effects that are counteracted [by Naloxone] only last about 20 to 90 minutes, and you may need additional doses of Naloxone to counteract the effects effectively.”

Click here to learn more about Nova Scotia’s take home Naloxone program.