New opioid 25 times more powerful than fentanyl circulating in Quebec: public health – CTV

Feb. 11, 2024

A synthetic opioid 25 times more powerful than fentanyl has made its way to the Quebec City region, where public health officials reported Saturday they have detected the dangerous compound in pale green tablets that mimic the appearance of other prescription opioids.

The Quebec City regional public health authority warned the compound, protonitazepyne, presents a high risk of overdose, which may require several doses of the life-saving medication naloxone.

Health Canada first detected the substance in 2023 and would go on to positively identify it in a total of 25 drug samples by the end of the year. Public health officials working in the Quebec City-area now say it has been increasingly found in the Montreal area since the beginning of 2024.

No overdoses in the Quebec City region have been linked to the protonitazepyne tablets, but officials say it presents a very real threat.

Read more: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/new-opioid-25-times-more-powerful-than-fentanyl-circulating-in-quebec-public-health-1.6764110

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