Fraser Health has issued a drug alert that a dark purple powder in Abbotsford is being sold as something it’s not, leading to possible overdoses.
The agency says the powder is being sold as “down,” the name given to a mix of substances that includes fentanyl and benzodiazepines.
But Fraser Health says the version available in Abbotsford contains neither of those substances and has instead tested positive for MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy).
Because users won’t experience the same impacts with MDMA as they would with fentanyl, they might ingest more of the powder, leading to a possible toxic drug poisoning.
Fraser Health advises that people who use substances never do so alone and have naloxone on hand in the event of an overdose.
The agency recently announced that harm-reduction supplies, including naloxone kits, are available free through an online portal at harmreductionmarketplace.ca.
In the first half of 2024, 1,158 people died in B.C. from toxic drug ingestion, with the crisis still the leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 59.
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