A new killer drug could soon be on the streets of Ontario.
The drug, known as W-18, is similar to the opioid fentanyl.
Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than heroin. W-18 is 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
Grey Bruce Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Christine Kennedy says 2 kg of W-18 were found in western Canada, enough to kill 100,000 people.
Trace amounts have been found in street opioids. Kennedy says it's arrival in Ontario is inevitable.
"If they seized 2 kg of it it's just a matter of time it's seen either in smaller or large amounts on the street in Ontario," says Kennedy.
She says fentanyl killed over 500 people in Ontario between 2009 and 2013 and she expects the arrival of W-18 will be as bad or worse.
"Given our track record of all opioid overdoses but specific to opioid overdoses related to fentanyl I would expect the same kind of path to happen with W-18," says Kennedy.
Kennedy says boards of health, the police and other stakeholders are calling on the provincial government to develop an overall plan to deal with opioid overdoses.
