Fentanyl is blamed for the increase in PEI overdoses

Dr. Heather Morrison, PEI’s Chief Public Health Officer, is warning Islanders about the street sales of fentanyl in Charlottetown.

In a press release late Thursday afternoon, the provincial government noted an increase in reported overdoses in Charlottetown over the past 24 hours.

The release said the street drug is sold as fentanyl and is sold in orange chunks. No deaths were reported.

“Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine and has caused accidental overdoses and deaths among street drug users,” Morrison said in the statement.

Telephone supervised use services are available for street drug users, including the National Overdose Response Service and Brave. Both services are available 24/7 and are free, confidential and non-judgmental.

The province had the following additional recommendations for street drug users:

If you are with someone experiencing an overdose, do not hesitate to call 911. Canada’s Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects you from charges for simple drug possession.