2 more people overdose on fentanyl in Winnipeg

Medical and addictions experts in Manitoba are again raising the alarm about the dangers associated with fentanyl, after two people overdosed and a third required medical care after ingesting the drug in Winnipeg this week.

Emergency crews rushed to the city'sEast Kildonan neighbourhood at10:30 p.m. Wednesday.Police said threepeople knowingly ingested the illicit drug and ashort time later, a male collapsed.

A female contacted 911 but then she also collapsed, police said.

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In the course of their investigation, officers determined that another male had also taken the drug. They found him anddetermined he alsoneeded to betransported to hospital.

All three people are expected to recover, according to police.

Police confirmthere has been an increase in the number offentanyl-relatedoverdose deaths in the past fewweeks.

Last month, one person died and two others were taken to hospital after suspectedfentanyloverdoses.

Fentanyl 'very, very potent,' says doctor

Fentanyl is extremely potent and addictive, saysDr. Alex Chochinov, who heads up the University of Manitoba's department of emergency medicine.

"It can kill you in minutes. It's very, very potent," Chochinovtold CBC News on Thursday.

"The risks of taking street drugs these days are so, so high that the only safe behaviour is to take none."

Sheri Fandrey of the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba said recent media coverage of fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths doesn't seem to be taken seriously by drug users.

"Certainly the amount of publicity, media attention that's been occurring in the last several weeks should be raising awareness that this isn't a drug that you should be deliberately trifling with," Fandrey said.

"The difference between the effective dose or the intoxicating dose and a lethal dose is very small, so you really don't have any room for safety," she added.

"There's no margin for error. Very few of the other opiates are quite that lethal."