The Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has issued a warning about a new drug found in the local unregulated drug supply that can lead to a significant increase in overdoses.

This week, Health Canada discovered the first sample of an emerging drug called "N-pyrrolidino etonitazene (etonitazepyne)" in Ottawa; this drug is part of a class of drugs referred to as nitazene opioids and is also known by its street name "Pairo."

The drug was found in unregulated fake M8 hydromorphone pills in Ottawa. The white pills had three sides and were marked with the letter "M" and "8."

OPH stated that these drugs are highly toxic and can be mixed with other medications.

An increase in the presence of nitazene in unregulated opioids is expected to be oxycodone (OxyContin), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), hydrocodone, and Percocet in Ontario.

The health unit said, "Nitazene is a synthetic opioid approximately 10 times more toxic than fentanyl and between 1000 to 1500 times more toxic than morphine." "Due to this toxicity, the risk of overdose increases and larger doses of naloxone than normal may be needed to assist individuals experiencing an overdose."