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Public health officials are warning of a dangerous drug trend that has made its way to Hamilton.

It’s called ‘dirty fentanyl’ or ‘takeover’ on the street; it’s crack that is laced with fentanyl, which can cause immediate loss of consciousness.

The city also says there’s a possibility that ‘carfentanil’, which is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, may be hidden in other drugs. This comes as new was released this week by the city on their “opoid surveillance and monitoring” website.

The site also provides information on opioid overdoses–there were 30 opioid-related 911 calls made in Hamilton in the last two months; 15 in January and 15 in February. 83% of these opioid overdose cases were male, with an average age of 35.

The data also shows more Naloxone kits are being distributed now compared to a year ago. Naloxone is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

Since the start of this year 211 Naloxone kits were distributed by public health services, and 44 people have been revived.

The new data also reveals just how critical the opioid situation is in Hamilton. The city says preliminary numbers from the Office of the Chief Coroner indicate that in 2015, 37 residents died from opioid use. This is the highest number of deaths in the past 11 years of data.

Last weekend in Hamilton, three people were taken to hospital for suspected fentanyl overdoses. More recently, there were two overdoses in Brantford and other two in Hamilton yesterday. Niagara Regional Police also announced a major fentanyl bust last week.