Appearance of fentanyl-laced cocaine prompts warning from Victoria drug testing lab
A drug testing lab in Victoria is warning the public after multiple samples of cocaine were found to contain dangerous levels of fentanyl.
The street drug testing lab, Substance UVic, confirms that last week it had several cocaine tests coming back with potentially fatal levels of fentanyl in them.
According to service coordinator Piotr Burek, the lab issued a warning on social media Tuesday because of the rarity of cocaine having any fentanyl in it on Vancouver Island.
"We believe it’s a case of cross contamination," said Burek.
"It could still cause harm to someone who doesn’t know it's in their cocaine," he said.
Cocaine containing fentanyl has been responsible for large numbers of deaths during B.C.’s opioid crisis, according to the lab.
Fentanyl, however, is more often laced into street drugs such as heroin, which is why the lab says finding multiple positive cocaine samples in a week is rare.
The discovery comes as B.C. continues to be mired in a lengthy and tragic opioid crisis.
B.C.’s Chief Coroner, Lisa Lapointe, announced that in 2021 a staggering 2,224 people died from illicit drug overdoses.
The Substance UVic drug testing lab is in the North Park area of Victoria, along Cook Street.
It is part of a University of Victoria research project and is funded in part by Health Canada.
Testing is completely free and confidential.
Lab staff are encouraging anyone who may want to use cocaine in the Capital Region to have it tested due to the recent findings.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.