Overdose death linked to bromazolam - cops
Fredericton Police Force issues alert about potent street drug that poses fatal risk to users
The Fredericton Police Force is concerned about the possibility that a powerful and dangerous drug called bromazolam has made its way into the local supply of street drugs.
The force issued an advisory Tuesday afternoon warning people about the detection of the drug and its connection to a recent death.
It said in a news release that bromazolam has been linked to a recent drug overdose that resulted in the user’s death.
“Police suspect that bromazolam is present in the illicit drug supply in Fredericton and are urging drug users to be cautious,” the force said.
“Bromazolam is often mixed with street drugs, including meth and fentanyl.”
Bromazolam is a type of benzodiazepine, a class of depressant drugs.
NARCAN - an effective counteragent used in cases of opioid overdoses - doesn’t reverse the effects of bromazolam, the release said.
“There are no warning signs of bromazolam’s presence, as it cannot be detected by sight, smell or taste,” it said.
“Bromazolam is not approved for medical use in any country and can lead to serious adverse effects, including death, especially when taken with opioids such as fentanyl.”
Public-health and policing agencies across Canada have issued such warnings about bromazolam in the past, and this isn’t the first fatal overdose in New Brunswick due to the drug.
Among the voices raised in concern about it was New Brunswick’s deputy chief medical officer of health, Dr. Yves Léger.
In a Department of Health news release in December 2022, he warned bromazolam had been found in the bloodstreams of nine people who died suddenly between July and November of that year.
In its news release Tuesday, the Fredericton Police Force noted that the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides legal protection to anyone offering or seeking emergency aid during an overdose situation.
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