MARTEN FALLS — The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is issuing a warning about the dangers of fentanyl and other fentanyl-laced drugs after a pair of reported overdoses in Marten Falls First Nation on Thursday.
The overdoses happened mere hours apart, said Scott Paradis, the media relations coordinator for NAPS. Neither was fatal, he added, but both required medical intervention.
According to the police’s community safety bulletin issued Friday afternoon, “the presence of fentanyl and other potent substances that can cause injury or death are increasing in our communities.”
N APS serves 34 First Nations across Nishnawbe Aski Nation territory.
The bulletin stated that fentanyl, aside from being very potent, can be absorbed through the skin and can be various colours like blue, pink, brown, or white, when in powder form. It can also come as a clear patch, or as tablets. It can also be found in other drugs like methamphetamines.
Police are encouraging people to have naloxone on them, to monitor anyone they may know who is suffering from drug addiction, and—if required—to seek emergency help immediately.
“As officers on the front line, we have a unique perspective of what's going on in these communities,” Paradis said. “So when we see something like this, certainly we want to make sure that the community is aware of the potential dangers.”
