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Caution urged for Vancouver drug users after fentanyl suspected in 16 overdoses
VANCOUVER – A total of 16 drug overdoses, including six in a single hour, have been reported in Vancouver and fentanyl is the suspected culprit.
Police in the city say they handled six overdoses between 7.30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
In a release, Sgt. Randy Fincham says local service providers advised police of a further 10 overdoses handled the same day, but no fatalities are reported.
He says, drug users believed the pink-coloured drug they had purchased was heroin but did not know it contained other toxic chemicals.
The additional substance is still being tested, but Fincham says fentanyl is suspected and he urges drug users to be extremely cautious.
Fentanyl is a powerful opioid, recently linked to an outbreak of overdose deaths in Western Canada, including four in Metro Vancouver.
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