Possible New Drug in Calgary Both Dangerous and Illegal

Coming right on the tail of last year's rising problem with fentanyl, Calgary is facing a new drug that police say is even more dangerous, and is just as illegal to possess.

W-18 is 100 times more toxic than fentanyl, according to Calgary Police; fentanyl itself is an opiate that is 100 times more powerful than morphine, and there were 213 deaths in Alberta linked to fentanyl in 2015, 74 of those deaths in the City of Calgary in the first three quarters of the year.

While no deaths have been linked to W-18 as of yet and only a single sample has been recovered by police so far, but Staff Sgt. Jason Walker says it's only a matter of time before there's more on the Calgary streets. With a drug this dangerous, that means a death won't be far behind.

It isn't just W-18 by itself that has Calgary Police worried, though. They believe this more toxic drug is being mixed with fentanyl that is being illegally trafficked in the city, and that drug users could be unaware of. This is more likely to lead to toxicity and a possible drug overdose.

Though many in Calgary disagree with the existing drug laws in one way or another, their primary purpose is to keep the public safe. Illegal drugs can contain many impurities and outright poisons, and the more potent they are the more dangerous they become.

Protect yourself, medically and legally, and stay away from these new poisonous drugs.