A sharp increase lately in the number of overdoses related to purple heroin (“purp”) has the local Heath Unit worried.
Most of the overdoses needed three doses of naloxone to revive the person, and that's a problem when only two doses are contained in the usual kit.
Spokeswoman Auburn Larose says the Health Unit started collecting data on specific drugs that are circulating in the city in May. Since then there have been 12 overdoses reported to the Health Unit involving purple heroin, but six of those were in the last two weeks.
That represents a threefold increase from the previous six weeks and triggered the Health Unit advisory.
"We're getting the information from community service providers who interact directly with people who use drugs and they report overdoses into the system. Why we are seeing this trend, we don't have an explanation for that partially because we've only been collecting the data for a short period of time so we're not sure why we are seeing this increase or where the purple heroin is coming from."
Purple heroin is a combination of three drugs, heroin, Oxycontin, and Fentanyl or carfentanyl and can be combined in varying potencies says Larose.
"So what we're suspecting here is the increase in recent weeks is that the drug circulating may be more potent than the purple heroin that was circulating a few weeks ago. It's resulted in one fatality so far and that occurred in the beginning of June."
The Health Unit is recommending that purple heroin users start with a smaller amount.
"We're anticipating that it is a more potent version that is circulating right now. Starting with a smaller amount will allow the individual to see if the drug that they have is more potent based on the effect is has on their body."
Larose says most of the overdoses recently required three doses of naloxone.
"In a typical naloxone kit, there are only two doses so people should come to the Health Unit or a local pharmacy or other community agencies that provide naloxone to pick up multiple kits so that they have them on site "
Larose also encourages users to not use alone and cal 911 if it doesn't feel right or if there is something wrong with the person they are with and an overdose may be happening.
She says overdoses are happening in both men and women and between the ages of 30 to 60.
There is no end date to the present advisory as the drug is still circulating.
Free naloxone kits are available at the Health Unit or local pharmacies.
Check out the opiod-related monitoring system here.
