Drugs are still a problem in Cochrane and Morley, RCMP say.
As fentanyl deaths hit staggering numbers in the province, with a total 272 overdose deaths in last year, the drug remains a problem in the community, Cochrane RCMP said.
“We are still fighting fentanyl. We are still seeing overdoses in town and the rural areas,” said Sgt. Jeff Campbell, Cochrane RCMP.
There were three confirmed deaths in Cochrane in 2015, Campbell said.
“The problem with someone overdosing is the drug is usually mixed with something else, or people think they are buying one type of drug but are actually getting another,” Campbell said.
Known for being cheap and powerful the opioid drug – described as 100 times more powerful than heroin – comes in many forms including pills, powder and patches.
And despite recent busts, including a fentanyl bust in Edmonton last Wednesday where police seized more than 1,200 pills, Campbell said it is hard to tell how much fentanyl is not being seized.
“A lot of the drug is coming from overseas,” Campbell said.
The problem became such an epidemic that in February Alberta Health Services distributed a press release, listing where to find Naloxone, a drug to reverse a fentanyl overdose.
Facilities in Cochrane with Naloxone Kits include, Safeway Pharmacy, Loblaws Inc., Rexall Cochrane, Shoppers Drug Mart and Save On Foods Pharmacy
“The rise in fentanyl overdoses is part of a pattern that has been seen across Canada, although it has been most pronounced in Alberta,” according Alberta Health’s website.
And that is not the only drug RCMP has seen increase in the area.
There has also been an rise in methamphetamine use on the reservation, Campbell said.
“There has been an influx of outside people going into Morley,” Campbell said.
It is suspected the individuals bringing the drugs into the reservation are gang related or associated.
“We are really trying to rely heavily on information from the communities,” Campbell said.
As the RCMP continues to investigate drug-related crimes in the area, police are asking anyone with any information to come forward and contact the Cochrane detachment at 403-851-8000 or individuals can tip anonymously with CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
