Downtown Eastside ‘benzo dope’ issue worsening, says advocate

published on March 9, 2021 by Yasmin Gandham and Kathryn Tindale in CityNews (News 1130)

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The rise of a new drug labelled as “benzo dope” — fentanyl mixed with a drug called etizolam — is sparking yet another call for the province to step in and ensure a safe supply for users.

Guy Felicella is a harm reduction advocate and says benzo dope is having a dramatic effect on the people on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

“I don’t think it’s a new phenomenon, I just think it’s just gotten increasingly worse. What it does is it adds another layer to the illicit fentanyl supply, and it has its challenges with people not only withdrawing from fentanyl but withdrawing from the benzos in the drugs,” he tells NEWS 1130.

He points out that Naloxone works on opioids and not benzos…