Toronto Police are out with a warning about a new and potentially deadly drug that put a dozen people in the hospital on Wednesday night.
Supt. Steve Watts of the Toronto Police drug squad says some of them are lucky to be alive after they overdosed on a cocktail of substances that includes the dangerous opioid, fentanyl.
All of the people who were treated are clients of the safe injection clinic near Yonge-Dundas Square.
Lab tests will confirm what the mixture is made of but Watts suspects its the same or similar to the one found a few weeks ago by police in Halton Region.
In that case, users had taken a combination of fentanyl, caffeine, and drugs typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia; like Xanax.
Watts says the people who make these drugs often dilute the fentanyl with cheaper alternatives in order to increase their margins.
What's particularly troubling is that this mystery substance renders almost useless the drug used to reverse fentanyl overdoses, as emergency responders discovered Thursday night when they administered naloxone to patients who showed signs they were overdosing.
Allegations are all 12 people who are now recovering in hospital bought their drugs from the same dealer.
Police believe he was hanging out near the clinic to prey on the addicts who depend on the facility.
38-year old Whanny Mymuller was arrested and now faces several drug charges.