[ad_1]
Vancouver Coastal Health issued a public alert after drugs from downtown Eastside tested positive for benzodiazepines, a tranquilizer-type drug slipping into the streets and causing serious concern among health officials in British Columbia.
A substance dubbed "green down" contains fentanyl and a kind of benzodiazepine at one of the overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites on Wednesday, according to the latest alert sent by Vancouver Coastal Health.
The clbad of drugs, commonly known as benzos, includes drugs such as valium, ativan and clonazepam. Overdoses caused by these drugs can not be reversed by naloxone, an antidote widely used to temporarily reverse opioid overdoses.
Dr. Mark McLean, medical director of the Rapid Access Addictions Clinic at St. Paul's Hospital, told Black Press Media that the drug had been discovered for the first time in drug supply. street drugs in early April, and that it was mixed with illicit fentanyl, creating a deadly badtail. hard to fight for front-line workers and emergency managers.
"We do not know why this clbad of drugs insinuates in the supply of drugs," he said.
Vancouver Coastal Health reported many cases of overdose caused by people who thought they were consuming opioids, but instead ingested illegally produced Flualprazolam and Flubromazolam, as well as benzodiazepine badogues such as etiolol. In some cases, drug users intentionally take these.
It is possible that traffickers will boost their illicit offer to persuade the client to believe that they are taking opioids, particularly using a drug that mimics both the desired effects and the side effects of opiates, said McLean. adding that it was "pure speculation on my part". . "
Opioids are known to create a soothing or anti-anxiety effect and a feeling of relaxation. Although benzos such as clonazepam are commonly used to prevent and control seizures, they generally slow down your central nervous system as a powerful sedative and have been used as drugs of rape.
"To a large extent, the drug supply is unpredictable as to what it contains, and that's why we have so many overdose deaths in the province," added McLean .
There were 462 overdose deaths between January and May – the most recent data available. This corresponds to 651 deaths during the same period in 2018, when BC saw a record number of drug-related deaths.
Benzos entering the street market are a concern for health officials, as is British Columbia. begins to see a plateau in the number of monthly deaths overdose, a slight reprieve that left the BC Coroner Service cautiously optimistic.
"It turns out that when opioids and benzos are combined, this combination can cause a more serious type of overdose," said McLean. It is not known to what extent the deadly badtail is prevalent in British Columbia, but this has been confirmed in Vancouver and Powell River.
According to health authorities, this mixture causes sedation and respiratory depression through separate pathways in the brain. Together, these drugs work in synergy to aggravate sedation and decrease the respiratory impulse.
Overdoses can be caused by all kinds of illegal or prescribed medications, but doctors and nurses have few options for treating someone who reacts badly to benzos.
Flumazenil is one of those options, but it's a lot more complicated than naloxone, said McLean, because side effects are more sensitive to the dosage and can cause seizures if the person has become dependent on the drug.
"We are still at the stage where we are trying to determine exactly what to use in this type of overdose."
What to look for in an overdose of benzo
Overdoses of opioids or benzos are quite similar, according to health officials. This includes speech disorders, lack of coordination, breathing difficulties and drowsiness. Lack of oxygen will cause a "dusty color" on the skin, while the fingers and lips become blue.
If you notice an overdose, you must call 911 and trained people should give naloxone. If the overdose is caused by benzo, the person should be supervised by trained health professionals for several hours or more.
WATCH: Here's what's in a naloxone kit
@ashwadhwani
[email protected]
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
[ad_2]
Source link
