Fentanyl mixed with novel benzodiazepine detected in drug seizure

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES (May 7, 2025) – The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) is warning residents about the recent detection of a new and potentially dangerous drug combination in the Northwest Territories. Following a wellbeing check on a vehicle between Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells in mid-March, drug seizures tested positive for fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine. In addition, Desalkygidazepam (a novel benzodiazepine) was detected in the fentanyl as an additional component.

UPDATE: May 13, 2025 – 8:30 AM. Further analysis from Health Canada has confirmed the presence of both ketamine and heroin in the seized fentanyl, in addition to Desalkygidazepam. For further awareness, the fentanyl was found in the form of a green powder.

About Desalkygidazepam

Health Canada confirmed the presence of Desalkygidazepam in the seized fentanyl on May 5, 2025. This substance is not typically found through routine toxicology tests and required specialized laboratory testing, causing the delay in reporting.

Desalkygidazepam is a rare benzodiazepine derivative originally developed in the former Soviet Union. It is known for its anxiety-reducing properties and has also been used in the management of certain cardiovascular disorders. Mixing benzodiazepines with opioids such as fentanyl may cause the effects of the drug to last longer or to be more potent, and naloxone will not be as effective.  

Health risks

There are no visible warning signs that street drugs contain opioids or benzodiazepines. You cannot detect them by sight, smell, or taste.

Benzodiazepine intoxication is characterized by:

  • Excessive drowsiness
  • Loss of balance and coordination
  • Partial amnesia: most noticeably, an inability to follow or participate in conversation

High doses of drugs mixed with benzodiazepines and opioids, such as fentanyl, increase the risk of overdose. This combination can:

  • Prolong and intensify sedation
  • Reduce the effectiveness of naloxone
  • Cause serious breathing problems, unconsciousness, or death

What to do if you suspect an overdose

If you suspect an overdose, call 911 or your local health centre. Signs and symptoms of opioid overdose can include the following:

  • Breathing will be slow or absent
  • Lips and nails are blue
  • Person is not moving
  • Person is choking
  • Gurgling sounds or snoring
  • Severe sleepiness
  • Person can’t be woken up
  • Skin feels cold and clammy

While naloxone, an opioid reversing agent, will not stop effects of a benzodiazepine overdose, it should still be used as it may reverse the effects when opioids are also consumed. Multiple doses of naloxone may be required if opioids and benzodiazepines are mixed.

What this means for NWT residents

This is the first time Desalkygidazepam has been found in illicit drugs in the Northwest Territories. It was first detected in Canada in April 2022. The CPHO is also warning that the territory is seeing:

  • Increased presence of methamphetamine
  • Higher quantities of fentanyl

In 2024, the NWT had 5 opioid related deaths in 4 different communities. All of these incidents show a shift in the NWTs illicit drug profile that is concerning.

Safety tips for people who use drugs

  • Never use alone.
  • Start with small amounts.
  • Have naloxone nearby and know how to use it.
  • Don’t mix drugs with other drugs, or with alcohol.

Naloxone availability

Residents are reminded that Naloxone kits are available at all hospitals, health centres and pharmacies in the NWT.

Legal protection

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people involved in an overdose from being charged for possession of a controlled substance. This law encourages anyone to call for help if they witness or experience an overdose.

Drug monitoring in Yellowknife

In July 2024 the CPHO entered into an agreement with the City of Yellowknife to pilot monthly testing of Yellowknife’s wastewater for illicit drugs.

  • A wastewater sample is a snapshot in time for monitoring and surveillance purposes, meaning samples will not reflect all drugs in Yellowknife or in the NWT.
  • The data provided only shows the type of drugs being found in wastewater samples, not the amount of those drugs.
  • A substance is identified when it’s at a level that’s detectable by the measurement instrument (mass spectrometry). A substance may be present but at levels too low to detect.
  • For medications that are available by prescription, wastewater sampling cannot tell us if the drug was being taken as prescribed or used illicitly.

These results are expected to be publicly published every 6 months on the Government of Canada website.

The CPHO continues to work with frontline healthcare providers, coroners, RCMP and other frontline first responders in tandem with wastewater testing and community presentations to further understand the risk that illicit drugs continue to impose on NWT residents.

 

More information:

 

For media requests, please contact:

Andrew Wind
Manager, Communications
Health and Social Services
HSSMedia@gov.nt.ca