Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine – A serious and dangerous addiction in BC and Alberta —  Opiates and Opioid addiction and the treatment in Alberta and British Columbia by Options Okanagan Treatment Center in Kelowna, British Columbia treating Opiate addiction and recovery

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid which has been one of the primary causes of opioid overdoses over the last decade. It is 100 times stronger than morphine and has proven to be one of not just the most addictive, but also the most deadly, opioids. According to the CDC, fentanyl-related deaths have increased more than 5 fold over the last three years, and are directly responsible for the terrifying increase in drug-overdose related body counts. Today, more and more recreational users are encountering fentanyl because it is being added to other drugs to make them more addicting, including cocaine and methamphetamine.

Why Is Fentanyl Being Added to Other Drugs?

Fentanyl is being added to recreational drugs because the drug cartels are trying to make their drugs so much more addictive. It is also sometimes being mistakenly added when street-level dealers mix drugs by mistake through careless packing. The DEA says that adding fentanyl to cocaine is part of something called speedballing, which combines a stimulant with a depressant – e.g cocaine and heroin. There are fears – among health care experts, legislators and law enforcement alike, that fentanyl-laced cocaine could be the next big epidemic in terms of illicit drug abuse in the US and Canada.

A Double Addiction

Fentanyl-laced cocaine poses two different, but equally bad, health risks. Firstly, there is the increased risk of an overdose, because of the two powerful drugs that the user is taking. Secondly, there are the challenges of withdrawal. It is important that someone who is using this type of drug is put through a carefully managed medical detox to help with the withdrawal symptoms. Simply stopping taking the drug without assistance can be quite dangerous, as well as being unpleasant. There are a number of symptoms that someone can expect when they stop taking the drugs, and they include (but are not limited to)

– Difficulty with breathing
– Aches and pains and other flu-like symptoms
– Fluctuation in body temperature
– Gastric distress (including nausea or vomiting, as well as diarrhea)
– Convulsions or seizures
– An elevated heart rate
– Falling into a coma

Some of the above symptoms are just unpleasant, but others can be seriously dangerous and it is important that anyone who is trying to stop taking these drugs be supervised to ensure that they do not end up with serious complications. The stimulant effects of the cocaine can be masked by the downer that is caused by the fentanyl, and people may find that they take more and more of the drug, chasing the same effects. If someone didn’t know that they were taking fentanyl-laced cocaine, they could end up taking too much because they don’t understand why they aren’t getting the feeling that they expect from their drug of choice.

Huge Overdose Risk

These drugs are a serious issue and there is the genuine risk that users on the street could take a fatal overdose, even if they have been using cocaine that is not adulterated for some time beforehand. Interventions can include using buprenorphine or methadone, or naltrexone with extended-release in order to help people manage their cravings and combat withdrawal symptoms. Even just a few cycles of use can cause an overdose, so people know someone who is using cocaine, at all you should try to get help for them. More and more areas are offering the option for people to seek help through good samaritan laws, so it is possible to get help for someone even if you are a drug user yourself, without fear that your own drug use could attract attention from the law.

Options Okanagan Drug And Fentanyl Treatment Centers in Kelowna, Salmon Arm and Vancouver, British Columbia – Men and Women are recovering and healing from Alcohol and Drug Abuse at our treatment center here in the Okanagan right now.

Our unique and distinctive drug treatment program allows men and women to come in from Calgary as well as Edmonton as we offer airport pickup.

Numerous clients come to us from Calgary and Edmonton and other locations in Alberta and even other provinces for Opiate addiction treatment, meth drug treatment, many other drug and alcohol addictions for rehabilitation because of the uniqueness of our treatment center.

Our Fentanyl Treatment Location:
Options Okanagan Fentanyl Treatment Center
206 – 478 Bernard Avenue, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 2E6
Toll Free Phone Number : 1-855-335-0331