The opioid is 25 times more potent than the fentanyl detected in Quebec City

MONTREAL — A synthetic opioid 25 times stronger than fentanyl has made its way to Quebec City, where health officials said Saturday they found a dangerous compound in pale green pills that mimic the appearance of other prescription opioids.

Quebec City's regional health authority has warned that the compound protonitazepine poses a risk of overdose, which could require multiple doses of the life-saving drug naloxone.

Health Canada identified this substance for the first time in 2023 and by the end of the year it will begin to positively identify it in a total of 25 drug samples. Health officials working in the Quebec City area now say it has become more common in the Montreal area since early 2024.

No overdoses in the Quebec City area have been linked to protonitazepine pills, but officials say it poses a very real risk.

“However, given its potency and the fact that it's in a pill of something else, it's clear that the risk of overdose is very high for people who consume this pill,” Dr. Anne-Frédéric Lambert-Slaith told the Quebec City public. in an interview given by the health department.

Officials warn that protonitazepine does not appear on test strips designed to detect fentanyl.

Quebec City's health department advises people who use drugs not to consume substances alone and to keep naloxone close at hand. Medicines can be obtained free of charge in pharmacies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 10, 2024.

Canadian Press