‘Russian roulette:’ RCMP issue warning on carfentanil

A powerful and dangerous drug has made its way into Saskatchewan, almost claiming the life of an inmate in the Saskatchewan Penitentiary.

“The drugs that were found at the scene were sent to the lab – the Health Canada lab – and then when they completed their analysis, it came back as carfentanil,” confirmed RCMP Supt. Rob Cameron, speaking to the CJME Morning Show Tuesday.
“This is a very dangerous drug and people need to be aware that just being in the presence of carfentanil can be fatal to them. It can be absorbed through the skin and that’s the type of thing that happens when people get exposed to it.”

Cameron said there’s no safe way to handle the drug, which is even more powerful than the notorious opioid fentanyl, except for those who are trained and have professional protection equipment, like respirators, gloves and even full suits. He said the use of that kind of equipment is now “commonplace” among police forces.

Cameron said that while carfentanil is dangerous to anyone, people should be aware of the risks of using any illegal drug.
“Any kind of drug that’s sold illicitly or illegally, there’s no quality control. There’s no safety measures put around that drug,” Cameron said. “People are really playing, what I would suggest, Russian roulette when they take this kind of drug. They have to remember that there’s no way to know exactly what that particular dose of, in this case, carfentanil would do.”

According to RCMP, a dose weighing less than a grain of salt can be fatal.