Warning of new unregulated drugs in Toronto amid 6 fatal overdoses in 4 days [Video]

Toronto Public Health (TPH) is alerting the public after paramedics recently responded to six suspected opioid overdose-related deaths.

The health unit said that the number of people who died of a drug overdose between March 14 and 17 is triple the current average seen over a four-day period in the past 12 weeks. The deaths occured throughout the city, public health said.

1/4: #DrugAlertTO: there has been an increase in suspected opioid overdose-related deaths attended by @torontomedics, incl. 6 suspected opioid overdose related deaths between Mar 14-17: https://t.co/v55NOtwjpq

— Toronto Public Health (@TOPublicHealth) March 18, 2024

And while it is not known at this point exactly what substances those who died consumed, TPH’s bulletin made mention of the recent identification of two high-potency synthetic painkillers in the city’s unregulated drug supply.

The “new” drugs found are nitazene opioids and were detected in drug samples collected by Toronto’s Drug Checking Service, a …