The federal government will more strictly regulate chemicals used in the production of fentanyl as of Aug. 30.
“The overdose crisis, and the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply, continue to have devastating impacts on individuals, communities and families across Canada,” said Health Canada in a June 5 news release.
According to government data, nearly 75 percent of accidental opioid deaths and overdoses since 2017 have involved fentanyl or related substances.
Regulatory changes will come into effect at the end of August that will schedule a specific group of chemicals, novel fentanyl precursors, as chemicals under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).
This group of drugs are analogues and derivatives of N-phenyl-4-piperidinamine and its salts, also known as 4-AP. The government said these chemicals “do not have any legitimate industrial, commercial, or medical uses, and controlling them will help to address their use in the illegal production of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues.”…