12 People Hospitalized in New Zealand After Consuming Powdered Fentanyl

Plastic bags of Fentanyl are displayed on a table at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection area at the International Mail Facility at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill., on Nov. 29, 2017. (Joshua Lott/File Photo via Reuters)

Twelve people have been hospitalized, with some in serious condition, as New Zealand police investigate the discovery of powdered fentanyl that was sold as cocaine or methamphetamine.

The people were hospitalized over the past 48 hours in Wairarapa, a region lying in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, with six of the twelve found unconscious. This is the first time powdered fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has been discovered in the country.

High Alert, a government drug alert service, issued a June 25 notification that the cases are “believed to be linked to the consumption of a white powder,” with “preliminary testing” indicating “the presence of fentanyl, or a fentanyl-type substance.” The Institute of Environmental Science and Research is conducting further analysis.

“Those hospitalized displayed the same symptoms as an opioid overdose, and all responded well to naloxone—a drug that reverses an opioid overdose,” said the notification.

High Alert strongly urged people to keep away from intaking “any white powder at this time” and make use of fentanyl test strips to check whether a substance contains fentanyl.

One gram of pure powdered fentanyl is equivalent to 20,000 safe doses of the drug, said National Drug Intelligence Bureau manager Detective Inspector Blair Macdonald.

Macdonald said to Newshub that the discovery was of “significant concern,” referring to the harm caused by the opioid crisis in America.

“For example in North America last year alone, over 60,000 people lost their lives due to fentanyl overdose,” Macdonald said. “We are very mindful we don’t want to see that type of harm occurring in our community here in New Zealand.”

Symptoms of Consuming Powdered Fentanyl

Fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 50 times stronger than heroin, drives addiction faster than other drugs and is extremely easy to overdose on.

The powdered substance is mis-sold as different substances like cocaine, methamphetamine, or other recreational drugs.

When taken, it causes the user to become unresponsive and may result in a loss of consciousness. Some of the reported symptoms include breathing difficulties and a weak pulse.

“Based on the number of hospitalisations and geographic spread of incidents, it is likely this substance is widely available in the Wairarapa region and possibly further,” said High Alert.

Furthermore, the organization suggested contacting authorities immediately if the user’s face is extremely pale or feels “clammy to the touch,” the body goes limp, the fingernails or lips have a purple or blue color, and the user starts vomiting or making gurgling sounds.

Police officers are attempting to discover the source of the powdered fentanyl, and the locations it has been spread. “If it’s widely prevalent that’s an incredibly dangerous place for us to be,” said Macdonald.

Most fentanyl was produced in China until 2019, when the Chinese communist regime, under pressure from the West, officially banned it. Since then, the precursors to the drug continue to be made in China and are then sent around the world to customers who assemble them into the deadly drug.