RCMP warning of dangerous drug cutting agents in street drugs

Nova Scotia RCMP wants to warn people who are using illegal drugs that what they are taking may contain dangerous cutting agents which could lead to serious harm or death.

“With illegal drugs, you can’t be sure of what you’re taking,” says Cpl. Curtis Kuchta of Inverness County District RCMP. “For example, earlier this year, Inverness Street Crime Enforcement Unit (SCEU) seized a substance determined to be five per cent cocaine and 95 per cent cutting agents.”

Substances that have been detected as cutting agents in drugs seized in Nova Scotia include methamphetamine, phenacetin, levamisole, lidocaine and benzocaine, to name a few. Police are also concerned about seeing fentanyl used as a cutting agent in the future.

“These cutting agents are dangerous and it’s important for drug users to know that what they’re buying isn’t always what the dealer says it is,” says Cpl. Dal Hutchinson of Nova Scotia RCMP. “We’re asking people to think seriously about the many risks of taking drugs and to reach out to addictions resources for help.”

For more information on how to access addictions resources, visit Nova Scotia Health Authority’s Mental Health and Addictions web page athttp://www.nshealth.ca/mental-health-addictions. If you need immediate help, call the toll-free Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-888-429-8167.

To reduce the risk of an overdose, never use drugs alone and always carry Naloxone. To find the closest pharmacy that offers kits, visit the Nova Scotia Take Home Naloxone Program website athttp://www.nsnaloxone.com/where-to-get-one.html.

The Nova Scotia RCMP’s first priority is getting help to those who need it and we encourage everyone to call 911 if they experience or witness a drug overdose. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some protection for people who seek emergency help for an overdose and anyone at the scene when help arrives. For detailed information on the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, visit Health Canada’s website athttps://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-abuse/prescription-drug-abuse/opioids/about-good-samaritan-drug-overdose-act.html.

Anyone with information about drug trafficking is asked to contact Nova Scotia RCMP at 1-800-803-RCMP (7267). Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip atwww.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

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Source : Media Release