Drug users in Coquitlam, B.C., warned after lab tests find dangerous fentanyl

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COQUITLAM, B.C. – A powerful pain killer that has killed more than 75 people in British Columbia last year has shown up on the streets of Coquitlam.

Mounties in the city are issuing a public warning about fentanyl based on the discovery of the illegal drug that has been verified by lab tests.

Cpl. Jamie Chung says Coquitlam RCMP are particularly concerned about the presence of the synthetic narcotic because of its high toxicity, which packs between 50 and 100 times more punch than morphine.

He says local investigations have proven varying levels of fentanyl are being mixed with or sold as other drugs, including oxycodone, ecstasy and heroin.

Police in several Metro Vancouver cities have warned about fentanyl’s dangers, while the B.C. Coroners Service has said most people who die from the drug are recreational users, not addicts.

In March, Vancouver police and the RCMP charged 10 people in an operation aimed at disrupting the trafficking and distribution of fentanyl following last year’s overdose deaths.