Overdoses down in B.C., but toxic, powerful drug is more common: coroner

published on May 15, 2019 by Amy Smart in National Post

VANCOUVER — A drug expert says a powerful opioid that was never intended for human consumption is becoming more common in British Columbia’s illicit drug supply and its “tremendous profitability” means the situation may get worse without intervention.

Dr. Evan Wood of the BC Centre on Substance Use said carfentanil is an elephant tranquilizer that is 100 times more potent than its cousin fentanyl, the primary culprit in the province’s overdose crisis.

But the cost of producing and moving carfentanil is so low relative to its sale value that fighting its spread will require a broader look at the drug trade, he said in an interview…