Guelph sees first fentanyl-related death of 2015

Guelph police say at least one person has died in the city so far this year due to afentanyl overdose.

Fentanylisa highly potentsynthetic opioidthat most commonly comes in the form of a patch. The drugis normally prescribed by doctorsto treat people who suffer from severe pain and it'ssaid the drug is40 times stronger than heroin.

Fentanyl is behind a recent spike in overdose deaths in Western Canada and a growing problem in Toronto.

• Fentanyl dangers: Toronto police warning of 'devastating impact'

• Fentanyl patch-4-patch program expands inOntario

Guelphdrug investigatorssaid they encounteredfentanylfirst in 2013, with two incidents. Since then there have been sevenfentanylrelated calls, four in 2014 and three in 2015.

Police say abusers tamper with the patches, scraping off and dividingthe drug andproduce more sales.Fentanylis oftensold as a powder, which can be mixed with other drugs, but it can also be smoked or injected. Some users have also been known to suck the patch under their tongues.

Many pharmacies in Guelph are using the 'patch for patch' program in an effort to curb abuse of the drug.That meansthe person who is prescribedfentanylmust bring back the used patches in order to receive more.

Fentanyl's popularity has risen as the availability of otheropiates such as OxyContin and oxycodone have declined.

The Guelph Police remindyou to call police if you find any suspicious powders, pills or substances both in the public and athomes. If someone is exposed to fentanyl powder they should immediately seek medical attention.