In June 2023, Lethbridge police discovered what appeared to be candy shaped like a teddy bear — but upon further inspection, it turned out to be fentanyl.
Following the incident, officers said the drug was not seen in that shape on Lethbridge streets again — until this month.
“We located a substantial amount of these gummy bears that are fentanyl that someone had obviously been producing,” said acting Sgt. Justin Brizinello of the Lethbridge police downtown unit.
On July 9, police say, officers arrested two Lethbridge residents for outstanding warrants and, upon arrest, various drugs were found. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
“A search warrant was then later done to the residence they were staying at and police ended up seizing 3,700 doses of drugs,” said Brizinello.
He says it’s a large drug bust that helps keep dangerous contraband off the street.
“A normal dose for someone on the street would be 0.1 grams and we’re in the realm of approximately 490 grams at this point, so a substantial amount.”
However, he says it’s quite concerning to see the gummy bear-shaped drug return to Lethbridge.
“The concerning part is that someone like a young child could get a hold of it thinking that it is candy.”
This fact is not lost on parents in the city.
“We have gone through that with our kids, you know, not touching anything that is foreign to you,” said Jeff Mclellan.
The father, who was out at the park with his four-year-old daughter, says the new trend of drugs is downright alarming.
“I grew up here my whole life in Lethbridge and we never had to deal with anything like this,” he said. ‘
“When I was a kid, I don’t think I was really taught that because it wasn’t needed, but nowadays it is.”
Global News spoke with several other residents who also expressed concern for the new variant of the deadly drug.
“That’s why we’re wanting to release this and just show this is out there. It’s concerning for us that, if it’s in the parks, Galt Gardens, spray parks, where families play, that dosage of fentanyl in that little gummy bear could lead to an overdose or potentially death,” said Brizinello.
As a result, police are advising residents to not pick up anything unknown from the ground, even if it looks innocent. They say it’s safer to just call it in.
“We would rather come seize that rather than the public actually put their hands on that and potentially ingest it.”
He says it’s especially crucial to have these conversations with your children because of the extreme danger posed by fentanyl.
“Fentanyl can be deadly too, not just by ingesting it, but also just by touching it too,” said Brizinello.
In total, officers seized over $84,000 worth of drugs and cash proceeds of crime.