As investigators in Toronto and Vancouver warn of an increase in fentanyl use, London police say meth is still king on city streets.
London police report only one death directly linked to a fentanyl overdose this year. A total of 105 patches have been seized, valued at $6,270.
To compare, the Guns and Drugs Unit has seized over 2,740g of crystal meth, valued at $310,000. The Coroner's office tells BlackburnNews.com deaths directly linked to methamphetamine are not recorded or monitored in the area.
Officials say while a dangerous concoction of fentanyl mixed with oxycontin is popping up in both Toronto and Vancouver, there has yet to be any trace of it locally.
Fentanyl is a fast acting synthetic opioid that is prescribed by doctors in a slow-release patch form. What makes it so dangerous to those who choose to smoke or ingest it is the fact that the drug is not always spread evenly on the patch, making it impossible to know how much one is taking.
The drug is roughly 50-100 times more powerful than morphine and about 40 times more portent than heroin, according to Toronto police. It slows the heart rate and breathing of users.
While the fentanyl seizures in London are at the highest they have been in the last five years, investigators say it is not a major concern.
"We're not seeing the national trend, we're not experiencing that here," says Detective Sergeant Chris McCoy with the London Police Service Guns and Drugs Unit. "Crystal meth is much more affordable and accessible and it's produced locally."
McCoy notes while there is a black market in London for fentanyl patches, it is on a fairly small scale.
London does have an above average number of people utilizing methadone clinics as they try to curb oxycontin addiction. But, McCoy says a lot of those addicted to oxycontin switched to crystal meth when the government introduced Oxyneo. Oxyneo is a form of oxycontin that is resistant to crushing, making it more difficult to abuse the drug.
"When it was more difficult to convert the Oxyneo into a useable form, one that they could inject or ingest and get the high they needed, we watched all of our oxy users shift over to crystal meth at that point. The whole band of them did," McCoy tells BlackburnNews.com. "I don't think, from our standpoint, that fentanyl really caught ground because there wasn't a lot of it out here. You can tell by our seizures."
Cocaine is also a problem on London streets, with $360,000 in powdered cocaine and $237,000 worth of crack cocaine seized so far this year. However, officers believe they shut down one of the city's largest sources of the drug during an April sting.
McCoy says the Guns and Drugs Unit will continue to investigate all leads when it comes to fentanyl and keep an eye out for the pill version, should it reach the city.
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Deaths in London directly linked to a fentanyl overdose: 2010 - one 2011 - one 2012 - three 2013 - one 2014 - one 2015 to date - one
Deaths in London where fentanyl was a factor: 2010 - six 2011 - less than five 2012 - 11 2013 - five
Overall number of deaths in London linked to drug overdoses: 2010 - 30 deaths 2011 - 19 deaths 2012 - 47 deaths 2013 - 33 deaths
Fentanyl patch seizures in London: 2010 - seven patches valued at $365.00 2011 - one patch valued at $50 2012 -101 patches valued at $5,050 2013 - 79 patches valued at $3,662 2014 - 65 patches valued at $3,185 2015 - 105 patches $6,270
2015 to date drug seizures in London: $310,000 worth of crystal meth $360,000 worth of cocaine $237,000 worth of crack cocaine $6,270 worth of fentanyl
