People who took the substance believe it was cocaine, but it was probably a opioid. File photo.
Photo: 123rf
Three people were hospitalized at Wairarapa over the weekend after taking something they thought was cocaine.
The three people received treatment and should be completely recovered, police said.
A high alert was published by Drug Information and Alerts Aotearoa New Zealand (Dianz) for white powder.
Detective inspector John van den Heuvel said police were notified after the paramedics responded to reports that three people were sick in a residential speech in Tinui.
Police searched the property and found some marijuana and a firearm. A man appeared in court on these matters.
Van den Heuvel said he believed that the unknown substance would probably be an opioid.
“Police are now working to establish the source of the illicit substance and to avoid further damage to the community.
“We would like to hear from anyone who may have information about this substance or their origins, or anyone involved in their distribution.”
In high alert notification, Dianz said the symptoms of ingesting this substance are consistent with an overdose of opioids, and those who took the medications responded well to Naloxone – a drug that reverses opioid overdose.
“Today, it is not known how widely this substance may be circulating. There are concerns that people already have this substance, either it can continue to be sold as cocaine in wairapa or other regions. People who consume this substance who believe it is cocaine are at high risk of suffering serious damage, including death,” warning readings.
Dianz said it was possible that this could be related to a synthetic opioid, such as Nitazens or Fentanil, which are very powerful and were associated with deaths in New Zealand.
Dianz said people should have extreme caution with white powders and should check the medications to minimize the risk.
Signs of an opioid overdose include being unanswered, breathing slowly or not, the skin being pale and body getting soft, nails and lips turning purple or blue, vomiting or bubbling, the students become small or a slow or standing heartbeat.
