Toronto police warn of suspicious drug linked to two overdose deaths in Deer Park Area, Nov 2021

[dotr]

Toronto police warn of suspicious drug linked to two overdose deaths in Deer Park

Toronto police have issued a public safety alert about a suspicious drug, pictured, linked to two overdose deaths in Deer Park. (Toronto Police Service)

''TORONTO -- Toronto police are warning the public about a suspicious drug linked to two overdose deaths in the city's Deer Park neighbourhood on Sunday.

Police said a 53-year-old man and a 33-year-old man went to a house party in the area of Yonge Street and Lawton Boulevard.

The two men, police said, consumed some narcotics at the party.

“Both men overdosed and succumbed to the potent effects of the drugs,” police said.

They have released a photo of the suspicious drug, which has been sent for testing.

“Investigators are concerned there may be more of this suspicious drug sold or given to others,” police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).''

 

[dotr]

Toronto Police Service :: News Release #51634
''Case #: 2021-2296367
The Toronto Police Service would like to warn the public of overdose deaths that appear to be caused by a suspicious drug.

On Sunday, November 28, 2021, officers responded to a call for overdoses in the Yonge Street and Lawton Boulevard area.

It is reported that:

- a 53-year-old man and a 33-year-old man attended a house party in the area

- they consumed a quantity of narcotics

- both men overdosed and succumbed to the potent effects of the drugs

Investigators are concerned there may be more of this suspicious drug sold or given to others. The drugs have been sent for testing.

A photograph of the drug and its packaging are released.


Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5300, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on our Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes or Google Play.''

 

[Jealoushe]

Curious what the drug was supposed to be?

 

[dotr]

Unsure if this is connected or not to the mid-town cases ^.
Toronto Police Service :: News Release #51651
Dec.1 2021
''Case #: 2021-2313425
The Toronto Police Service would like to warn the public of suspected overdoses that appear to be caused by a suspicious drug.

On Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at 8:28 a.m., police responded to a call for multiple overdoses in the area of Dufferin Street and Lakeshore Boulevard West".

It is reported that:

- five people consumed a quantity of an unknown narcotic suspected to be an opioid

- they all suffered adverse effects

- one person went to hospital

- no one died as a result of taking the drug

As the drug was consumed before police arrived, there is no description of it at this time.

Investigators are concerned there may be more of this suspicious drug sold or given to others.

The Toronto Police Service wants to remind people that if they are taking drugs to use extreme caution and do not take them alone.

If anyone suffers serious illness after consuming a narcotic, they should attend a hospital emergency room, call 9-1-1, or go to a walk-in clinic immediately for treatment. For a referral to a substance use treatment facility, visit Connex Ontario or call 211 or the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health can be reached at 1-800-463-2338.

For more information about overdose prevention and response, please visit the Toronto Public Health website.''

 

[dotr]

Again, unsure at this point if there is a drug connection to the other deaths ^, but it looks like something is going on, imo, speculation.
Police investigate multiple suspected overdoses in Ontario
Dec 5 2021 rbbm.
''Police say they're investigating multiple suspected drug overdoses in a northern Ontario community.

Between Thursday and Saturday, Ontario Provincial Police say officers responded to two fatal and five non-fatal suspected overdoses in the Huntsville area.

Police say the Muskoka crime unit and the Muskoka community street crime unit are investigating, under the direction of the OPP criminal investigation branch.

They note that more information will be released as it becomes available.


In the meantime, police are asking anyone with information regarding the suspected overdoses to contact them.''

 

[dotr]

April 3 2022
Horse tranquillizer blamed for growing number of drug overdose deaths in Ontario | CP24.com
''A powerful drug used to sedate horses and cattle is creeping into Canada's illicit drug supply and has been detected in a growing number of human drug poisoning deaths in Ontario.

The animal tranquillizer xylazine is already causing concern in the United States and results from a drug-testing site in Canada show it's becoming more common north of the border.

Nigel Caulkett, a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary, says xylazine produces a deep state of sedation that affects cardiovascular function and can induce vomiting.

He says he is concerned that people are mixing the powerful drug with opioids, which can lead to more profound reactions.

“There have been a number of case reports of people overdosing on xylazine and, in those cases, they often have to put the person on a ventilator to get them through that crisis,” Caulkett said.''

 

[UltRight]

Curious what the drug was supposed to be?

Usually, something spiked with fentanyl

 

[whiterhino]

I know it's a stretch but the print on that bag looks like the Raptors logo FWIW

 

[dotr]

June 15th 2022

Concerns about volatile street drug supply

There are concerns in Sudbury right now about the impacts of the toxic and tainted drug supply on the streets.

www.iheartradio.ca

"The street drugs are being laced with things like benzodiazepines, xylazines and other kinds of adulterants that make, well they heighten the chance of an overdose and then if we don't have that proper intervention it increases the chances of that being a fatal overdose," said Neil Stephen, the manager of consumption and treatment services at Reseau Access Network.


Officials at Reseau Access said they have seen a recent shift from an opioid crisis to a poisoned and toxic drug supply crisis.''

"There is also instances of xylazine which is an animal tranquilizer being cut into the street supply. People really have no idea what they are getting, they have no idea what they are putting into their bodies," said Amber Fritz, a harm reduction social service worker with Reseau Access Network.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts confirms Northern Ontario has the highest rate of opioid related fatalities in Ontario with Thunder Bay, Algoma and Sudbury topping the list.''

June 14, 2022

High school students across Canada to be trained on how to administer naloxone

Hundreds of thousands of high school students in Canada will be given training on how to respond to someone overdosing on opioids, including on how to administer naloxone -- a drug used to reverse the effects of overdoses.

www.ctvnews.ca

''MONTREAL -
Hundreds of thousands of high school students in Canada will be given training on how to respond to someone overdosing on opioids, including on how to administer naloxone -- a drug used to reverse the effects of overdoses.''

''Each year, in addition to learning how to administer naloxone, about 350,000 students will learn about opioids and how to identify when to call 911, when to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and when to give naloxone. The training will first be deployed in Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia before expanding to other provinces.''

 

[whiterhino]

June 15th 2022

Concerns about volatile street drug supply

There are concerns in Sudbury right now about the impacts of the toxic and tainted drug supply on the streets.

www.iheartradio.ca

"The street drugs are being laced with things like benzodiazepines, xylazines and other kinds of adulterants that make, well they heighten the chance of an overdose and then if we don't have that proper intervention it increases the chances of that being a fatal overdose," said Neil Stephen, the manager of consumption and treatment services at Reseau Access Network.


Officials at Reseau Access said they have seen a recent shift from an opioid crisis to a poisoned and toxic drug supply crisis.''

"There is also instances of xylazine which is an animal tranquilizer being cut into the street supply. People really have no idea what they are getting, they have no idea what they are putting into their bodies," said Amber Fritz, a harm reduction social service worker with Reseau Access Network.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts confirms Northern Ontario has the highest rate of opioid related fatalities in Ontario with Thunder Bay, Algoma and Sudbury topping the list.''

June 14, 2022

High school students across Canada to be trained on how to administer naloxone

Hundreds of thousands of high school students in Canada will be given training on how to respond to someone overdosing on opioids, including on how to administer naloxone -- a drug used to reverse the effects of overdoses.

www.ctvnews.ca

''MONTREAL -
Hundreds of thousands of high school students in Canada will be given training on how to respond to someone overdosing on opioids, including on how to administer naloxone -- a drug used to reverse the effects of overdoses.''

''Each year, in addition to learning how to administer naloxone, about 350,000 students will learn about opioids and how to identify when to call 911, when to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and when to give naloxone. The training will first be deployed in Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia before expanding to other provinces.''

Can't imagine sending my kids off to school so they can be taught how to administer Naloxone.

Just search "fentanyl" on WS. So many deaths (some suspicious IMO) and crimes related to these drugs. I learned a lot from skimming the threads. Horse tranquilizers mixed with amphetamines sounds like a terrible combination. Then again it's a known fact that drugs are dangerous, buyer beware, overdoses are increasingly common these days.

 

[dotr]

In related news, a warning.. rbbm.
Jan 8 2023

OPP warn of 'potentially fatal' opioid strain in central Ontario after four deaths

The Ontario Provincial Police is warning the public after four people in central Ontario recently died from suspected opioid overdoses.

www.cp24.com

''The Ontario Provincial Police is warning the public after four people in central Ontario recently died from suspected opioid overdoses.

The OPP are advising of a "highly potent and potentially fatal strain" of illicit opioids that they say may be circulating in Simcoe County and the District Municipality of Muskoka.

The OPP says officers with the Southern Georgian Bay detachment responded to a report on Tuesday of two women in their early 20s found dead of a suspected opioid overdose at a home in Tay Township.

Three days later, investigators say officers with the Bracebridge unit responded to a report of two men in their mid-40s found dead inside a motel in Gravenhurst, also of a suspected opioid overdose.

Police say the "prevalence of illicit opioids" distributed through drug trafficking networks "continues to increase."

They say symptoms of fentanyl and opioid overdose can include difficulty walking, talking or staying awake, as well as blue lips or nails, cold and clammy skin and very small pupils.''

 

[dotr]

April 2 2023

Public Safety Alert, Police investigating numerous suspected drug overdoses in the downtown core

www.tps.ca

''Public Safety Alert,
Police investigating numerous suspected drug overdoses in the downtown core​

51 Division
The Toronto Police would like to notify the public about several suspected overdoses in the downtown core.
On Saturday, April 1, 2023, police responded to four separate drug overdoses within 51 Division.
It is believed all of the overdoses and deaths are linked to the use of fentanyl being distributed in the downtown core of the city.
The Toronto Police Service wants to remind people that if they are taking drugs, including fentanyl, to use extreme caution and do not take them alone.
If anyone suffers serious illness after consuming a narcotic, they should attend a hospital emergency room, call 9-1-1, or go to a walk-in clinic immediately for treatment.
For a referral to a substance use treatment facility, visit Connex Ontario, call 211, or call the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at 1-800-463-2338. For more information about overdose prevention and response, please visit the Toronto Public Health website.''

 

[Soulmagent]

Can't imagine sending my kids off to school so they can be taught how to administer Naloxone.

Just search "fentanyl" on WS. So many deaths (some suspicious IMO) and crimes related to these drugs. I learned a lot from skimming the threads. Horse tranquilizers mixed with amphetamines sounds like a terrible combination. Then again it's a known fact that drugs are dangerous, buyer beware, overdoses are increasingly common these days.

Really crazy is they give it out for free ,in the USA but will not approve it for use in crohns ,studies have shown it to really help people with Crohns .

 

[whiterhino]

There were a number of overdose deaths in B.C and Alberta recently (there's so many I can't find links atm). It turned out to be opioids that were mixed with benzodiazepines so the victim could not be resuscitated.

Naloxone, safe injection sites, testing kits are only going to do so much. Many of these deaths are cases of poisoning essentially. JMO.

 

[dotr]

There were a number of overdose deaths in B.C and Alberta recently (there's so many I can't find links atm). It turned out to be opioids that were mixed with benzodiazepines so the victim could not be resuscitated.

Naloxone, safe injection sites, testing kits are only going to do so much. Many of these deaths are cases of poisoning essentially. JMO.

CityNews

vancouver.citynews.ca

2022
''As benzodiazepines mixed with fentanyl become more prevalent, a major concern for the executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society, Sarah Blyth, is when people don’t know they’re taking it.

“People can be unconscious for hours and hours and hours. And even when they wake up, sometimes they don’t know where they are, or what they’re doing. So it really causes a lot of problems. People don’t know what they’ve done for a few days, and women are saying that they’ve woken up with no clothes, and all kinds of terrible things are happening to people. People are getting robbed, people don’t know where they have been,” she explains.''

 

[whiterhino]

‘Alarming spike’ in drug poisonings prompts alert in Grey Bruce

Grey Bruce Public Health has issued an alert due to an “alarming spike” in recent drug poisonings following multiple overdoses.

london.ctvnews.ca

"There have been reports of people believing they were taking cocaine or meth, but unknowingly took fentanyl."

^That is what I'm talking about!

“This is a drug toxicity issue, whereby people are using drugs that have been unknowingly cut or mixed with fentanyl or other toxic substances. We’re seeing evidence of an increasingly toxic drug supply across the country; an issue that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. All unregulated street drugs should be deemed highly toxic and potentially fatal. Some of the substances that can be mixed with unregulated street drugs do not respond to the life-saving effects of Naloxone.”

These are cases where the user bought something mixed with fentanyl. In those cases, Naloxone would help but only if the user has it and someone is with them.

If a user thinks they're buying cocaine, they are unlikely to have a Naloxone kit. These days, any drug user should be testing their stuff first. No need for Naloxone if you discover your drugs have been laced.

Another point: The people affected by these overdoses and deaths are seemingly otherwise innocent people who chose to buy a drug. It appears (and I am assuming) these people often have no recourse.

This is not the same thing as "gang level activity" where people are being "ripped off" and sold the wrong thing, the kind of situation where violence ensues. This seems to be happening on a lower level, to people who can't retaliate.

TL;DR It's targeted.

 

[branmuffin]

I went into the Shopper's Drug Mart in Orillia and there were tons of free naloxone kits piled high for the taking. It's pretty sad when the problem is so serious they give out as many kits as the free COVID test kits.

 

[dotr]

NY is not so far away, keeping these sort of drugging events in mind, fwiw, imo.

NYC- Robbery crews drug unsuspecting men, some fatally, at bars and nightclubs, 2022 - Trial set for early 2025

Dec 24 2022 rbbm. https://www.wfmj.com/story/48031836/nyc-robbery-crews-drug-unsuspecting-men-some-fatally ''NEW YORK (AP) — Multiple people have been fatally poisoned with narcotics in what investigators say were schemes by criminal crews to incapacitate and rob people at New York City bars and...

www.websleuths.com

 

[whiterhino]

This sounds promising:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/xylazine-test-strips-canada-approval-tranq-1.6796588

"Health Canada also confirmed the xylazine test strips are not yet licensed for sale in Canada, but did receive a medical device licence application from BTNX on March 17 and said the application is currently in process. BTNX is also one of the largest suppliers of COVID-19 rapid tests in Canada."

 

[whiterhino]

NY is not so far away, keeping these sort of drugging events in mind, fwiw, imo.

NYC- Robbery crews drug unsuspecting men, some fatally, at bars and nightclubs, 2022 - Trial set for early 2025

Dec 24 2022 rbbm. https://www.wfmj.com/story/48031836/nyc-robbery-crews-drug-unsuspecting-men-some-fatally ''NEW YORK (AP) — Multiple people have been fatally poisoned with narcotics in what investigators say were schemes by criminal crews to incapacitate and rob people at New York City bars and...

www.websleuths.com

Linking this similar story: (MSM links within thread)

NY - Fashion designer Kathryn Marie Gallagher allegedly killed in her apartment in drug-related theft - 3/24/23

https://people.com/crime/fashion-designer-kathryn-marie-gallagher-cause-of-death-revealed/ A woman who was found dead in her Manhattan apartment eight months ago has now been identified as fashion designer Kathryn Marie Gallagher. The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner confirms...

www.websleuths.com

There are similar (alleged) cases involving drugs like scopolamine (datura, mandrake root, devils breath, jimson weed).

'Devil's breath' aka scopolamine: can it really zombify you?

The substance has been blamed for thousands of crimes in South America. Now there are reports of the incapacitating drug being used in street robberies in Paris. From use by Nazis to obstetricians, it certainly has a colourful history

www.theguardian.com

"Now, according to reports, the drug has been used on “dozens” of victims in Paris, and three people have been arrested. The Daily Telegraph suggests that two women had encouraged their victims to breathe in the drug, then got the victims to take them home where they stole money and jewellery."

“You get these scare stories and they have no toxicology, so nobody knows what it is,” says Val Curran, professor of pharmacology at UCL’s Clinical Pharmacology Unit. “The idea that it is scopolamine is a bit far-fetched, because it could be anything.” ***

It is “horrible stuff”, says Curran. “When I used to give it to people [in experiments], they hated it – it makes your mouth really dry, it makes your pupils constrict. Certainly high doses would be completely incapacitating.” And does it remove free will? “It would completely zonk you out,” says Curran, “ but I don’t know about removing free will. It incapacitates you because you’d feel so drowsy, you wouldn’t remember what was going on. But you would do after huge doses of alcohol, or lots of other drugs like Valium or other benzodiazepine drugs.”

"Scopolamine has marked amnesic effects, and is used in Alzheimer’s research. Mostly though, it is used at very low doses to treat motion sickness, usually though a transdermal patch."

***Maybe not so far fetched? FWIW:

Attempt of scopolamine-facilitated robbery: an original case of poisoning by inhalation confirmed by LC–MS/MS and review of the literature:​

Attempt of scopolamine-facilitated robbery: an original case of poisoning by inhalation confirmed by LC–MS/MS and review of the literature - Forensic Toxicology

Purpose Scopolamine, an alkaloid found in certain plants, has become a drug of use for recreational and predatory purposes. We present here the case of an attempted scopolamine-facilitated robbery, via inhalation, with full recovery of the victim. We also performed a review of toxicological...

link.springer.com