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Fentanyl abuse is on the rise across Canada. In Niagara alone emergency responders say they’re treating at least one overdose every week. But the drug is so addictive that even overdosing doesn’t stop users.

Megan Urquhart, 21, from Welland is now fighting to stay off the drug. The first time she tried fentanyl she woke up in the hospital.

Despite the overdose it became her drug of choice. Megan was hooked on it for over a year and a half.

“I was told such great things by my boyfriend and I didn’t know how strong it was.”

According to Megan, her boyfriend was getting fentanyl patches off the street.

The opioid-based pain killer is roughly 100 times stronger than morphine.

Megan says she has been clean for two months.

“I saw what it was doing to my parents. I felt just so alone and I felt bad for hurting them and I just decided I can’t do this, so I tried to get clean at home but I was so sick. So dehydrated I had to go to the hospital.”

Urquart now gets treatment at a clinic and takes medication for her addiction. She is focusing on getting clean and plans to go to college next year.

She was treated with narcan – also known as naloxone – when she first overdosed.

“Basically you stop breathing. What naloxone does sort of acts like a bully and it kicks those opioids off those receptors allowing the person to start breathing again.”

Rhonda Thompson is a coordinator at Positive Living Niagara. The organization teaches drug users how to identify and prevent fentanyl overdoses. It has handed out over 450 kits so far, which includes three doses of naloxone.

Megan has some words of advice for anyone thinking about trying the powerful drug.

“It is not worth it. The littlest amount and you cannot walk up. I am lucky I did, but it is not worth it at all.”