In light of the spate of opioid overdoses in Canada and concern over the effects in Ontario, Wellington County OPP officials are sharing some opioid facts with the public.
In a Jan. 17 press release police stated opioids are a family of drugs that are used primarily for pain relief.
They cause the body to release endorphins and the user to feel dreamy and euphoric and, with excessive amounts, cause respiratory depression (the “overdoser” stops breathing and dies).
“Opioids are highly addictive; tolerance to the drug causes increased usage and withdrawal symptoms perpetuate the use,” police state.
“They bind to opioid receptors in the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous systems; allowing them to be smoked, injected, digested, or snorted.”
Opium was the first opioid and like most opioids, was used for surgeries and pain relief. It has two active ingredients, morphine (named after the Greek god of dreams, Morpheus) and codeine.
Diamorphine (aka heroin) was created to replicate the effects of morphine. Synthetic derivatives like oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, fentanyl and carfentanil also have the effects of opium but on a much grander scale, the OPP state.
“Compared to morphine; heroin is more than twice as strong, fentanyl about 100 times and carfentanil about a 100,000 times,” police state.
Opioids might appear in other medications as part of the formula or may be referenced by trademark names.
OPP officials are reminding citizens that exposure to an opioid could be deadly and that tolerances will determine someone’s fatal limit.
“Not all deadly drugs are illegal or sold on the street,” police say. “Know what’s in your medicine cabinet, know what’s in your medications and don’t let it become someone else’s hazard. If you suspect someone has been exposed to a lethal dose of an opioid, call 911 immediately.”
Since August 2017, OPP officers have been equipped with naloxone, a synthetic drug that temporarily blocks the effects of an opioid. Naloxone is a temporary measure used prior to advanced patient care.
For more information, visit Health Canada at www.canada.ca.
