A sedative intended for large animals is believed to be the cause of a recent increase of opioid-related emergencies, specifically to the Edmonton region.

According to the Canadian Center of Recover Excellence (CoRE) carfentanil can be up to 100,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl, with microgram-level amounts causing life-threatening overdoses.

Rob Tanguay, senior medical lead of compassionate intervention at Recovery Alberta , says many drug users become highly tolerant to drugs, including fentanyl, and need stronger substances to get a high.

During the week of Aug. 25, Emergency Health Services in Alberta responded to 321 opioid-related events, which was a 39 per cent increase from the previous week, and Edmonton accounted for 73 per cent of thos

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