RECAP Health Services

06/07/2026

Friends walk around Moncton with Narcan as N.B. city sees spike in overdoses. Heidi Callaghan and Tre Miller spent Thursday morning walking around downtown Moncton, N.B., checking on their friends.

Both had Narcan kits strapped to their waists in case someone suffering from an overdose needed to be revived.

“The last week has been really bad,” said Callaghan.

Since last Friday, Ambulance New Brunswick’s 911 dispatch team has responded to well over 100 overdose-related calls.

There were 20 calls from noon Wednesday until 11 a.m. Thursday.

From 3 p.m. Wednesday to 3 p.m. Thursday, the Moncton Fire Department responded to 16 overdose calls.

The department’s daily average as of late has been five calls.

Miller said he’s seen “lots and lots” of overdoses.

“There’s a new kind of strain that’s out and it’s super-duper strong,” he said.

Miller said the number of overdoses is “unprecedented” in his experience and Callaghan hasn’t seen anything like this before.

“The drugs that are out now are insanely strong and they’re high in tranq [tranquillizers]. People are dropping left, right and centre. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Callaghan.

They’re currently staying in shelters while watching out for others in the homeless community.

Both believe a bad batch of fentanyl is still on the streets.

“Very much so,” said Callaghan.

Miller explained that many people using fentanyl will keep taking it even if they think it could be laced with something.

“Can’t waste it if you’ve already bought it,” said Miller. “The cheaper the drugs are the more unreliable and more unstable they are.”

Callaghan said it’s the need for the high that keeps people using and taking risks.

“Once you’ve bought that fentanyl, you’re going to do it because you want to get high. You need that high, you crave that high,” he explained.

{IMAGE 2/3}: A suspected drug user is seen in Moncton, N.B., on June 4, 2026. (Derek Haggett/CTV News Atlantic)

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said the province is investigating to try and get as much information as possible from front-line agencies in Moncton about the spike in overdoses.

“They’re identifying it potentially to be connected with a particular strain of a bad drug and we lean on our partners like Ensemble and others in these instances to get us the real information of what’s happening on the ground,” said Holt.

Holt went on to say the province is working hard to crack down on the supply entering New Brunswick and making its way to the streets of Moncton.

“There’s work that the team at Justice and Public Safety have been doing with extra resources to keep those kinds of drugs from even entering our province in order to keep New Brunswickers safe,” said Holt.

Miller said the people that produce the fentanyl will likely now dial it back a bit to make it less potent.

There was a colour, beige, that was super reliable, super dependable, very stable, very cheap and consistent every time,” said Miller.

Purple is the dangerous colour right now, according to Callaghan.

“And they’re mixing it with say, beige, to make it less potent and people are doing that,” said Callaghan.

In a statement to CTV News, Ambulance New Brunswick said any situation involving a suspected overdose is challenging for the person experiencing the medical emergency and for the responders.

“We recognize that responding to serious and often traumatic scenes can be challenging for our personnel,” reads the statement. “Supporting the well-being of our employees remains a top priority and a range of supports are available to staff when needed.”
Source -CTV

06/02/2026

Be safe everyone. We are seeing a spike in Fredericton as well 😞🚑

Dozens in Moncton suffer overdoses from possibly tranquilizer-laced fentanyl.
Emergency responders and harm reduction workers in the Moncton area saw a spike in overdoses this past weekend, possibly related to the presence of a potent veterinary tranquilizer in the local unregulated drug supply.

Moncton fire Chief Conrad Landry said his department responded to 52 calls of suspected overdoses between noon Friday and noon Monday, which is a “significant increase."
“Normally, we can go to four or five overdose calls per day,” Landry said.

Ambulance N.B. spokesperson Christianna Williston said the organization received 65 calls over 72 hours in relation to suspected overdoses in the greater Moncton area, which includes Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe.

Josue Goguen, the front line supervisor for harm reduction organization Ensemble, said that Friday was the worst day he has seen at Ensemble since the organization opened its supervised consumption site five years ago.

“This weekend has been very hard,” Goguen said.
Ensemble staff responded to multiple overdoses at the same time, and had to deliver additional naloxone to community partners also experiencing the spike.

Goguen said it’s too early to confirm the cause of the sudden increase, but it could be the presence of medetomidine, a veterinary tranquilizer increasingly being detected alongside fentanyl across the country.

He said many people were in “heavy sedation," and sometimes did not revive even after being administered naloxone.

Naloxone is used to reverse the effects of opioids, such as fentanyl, but does not have the same effect on tranquilizers.

“What we find is with the naloxone, we can get their vitals back to normal, get them breathing,” Goguen said, but “for a long period of time after that, we have to keep an eye on them.

“The naloxone does work, but it doesn't work as well, because of the tranquilizer in there.”
Goguen said the extra monitoring has stressed the capacity of the organization.

The nature of the unregulated drug supply is “unpredictable,” Goguen said.

“We don't know exactly what's coming in, how it's been cut,” which makes it difficult for front line staff to prepare.

In recent years, the Moncton fire department has seen a decrease in overdose calls, even though its overall medical calls continue to increase.

Chief Landry attributed that to increased training of front-line workers who can administer naloxone and sometimes revive someone suffering from opioid overdose without calling emergency services.

“This particular weekend might put a kind of a spike in that whole trend,” Landry said.

At one point on the weekend, two Moncton fire crews were attending separate overdose calls, Landry said, leaving just three of five stations free to respond to other emergencies.

The department was ready to call on mutual aid services from neighbouring departments, just in case, he said.

But starting this July, emergency medical calls will put less strain on emergency resources.

Landry said the department currently sends four firefighters and an engine to emergency medical calls. But starting July 1, they will send two firefighters in a new smaller vehicle, designated for calls in the core of the city.

“We're going to see how that changes and how that affects our response volume,” Landry said.

Charlie Burrell of the Humanity Project said he first heard reports of high numbers of overdoses on Friday night and witnessed a number himself on Saturday and Sunday.

He expressed concern that the public perception of the fentanyl crisis is sometimes skewed.

“This isn't a homeless issue,” said Burrell.
"This is a drug issue.
“Homelessness is only the end result of the problem.”

Burrell operates a recovery program at a farm in rural Albert County. He said one of the clients that will soon move to the farm has been on a waiting list for more than a year.

“We don't have enough resources when it comes to mental health and addiction,” Burrell said.
“It's such a multifaceted problem that it's like, how do you get ahead of it?”

Credit:CBC

05/09/2026

You are not alone.

05/01/2026

04/24/2026

04/23/2026

Please be safe. Ask for naloxone 💙

04/21/2026

04/05/2026

🌷🐣 Easter is a time of renewal, hope, and new beginnings 🐣🌷

At RECAP, we know that healing doesn’t follow a straight line—and everyone deserves compassion, dignity, and support wherever they are on their journey.

This Easter, we’re reminded that:
✨ Change is possible
✨ Every step forward matters
✨ No one is beyond hope

Whether you’re celebrating, struggling, or somewhere in between—you are not alone. Harm reduction saves lives, meets people where they’re at, and keeps the door open for tomorrow.

💜 Let’s continue to support one another without judgment.
💜 Let’s choose kindness, connection, and care.

From all of us at RECAP—wishing you a safe, supported, and hopeful Easter.

03/17/2026

🍀 Happy St. Patrick’s Day from RECAP 🍀

Today is about community, connection, and looking out for one another 💚

While many celebrate, we remember that not everyone has a safe place to go home to and not everyone can celebrate safely. Harm reduction saves lives, every day.

💉 Access to clean supplies prevents infections like Hepatitis C
🏥 Testing and treatment for HCV can cure and change lives
🏠 Housing is healthcare—everyone deserves a safe place to rest
🤝 Compassion over judgment makes our communities stronger

Whether it’s checking in on a friend, carrying naloxone, or supporting local outreach—small actions matter.

Let’s celebrate with kindness, awareness, and care for ALL members of our community 💚

03/11/2026

A new, much needed service for our province 💙❤️

New Brunswickers can now call one toll-free number to learn about their options and book an appointment for abortion services.

This centralized self-referral provides details about both medical and surgical abortion options and helps individuals schedule an appointment that works best for them, whether it’s the soonest available or the closest location.

To access the service, call 1-844-806-9205.

Callers may be asked to leave a voicemail and will receive a callback during operating hours (8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday).

Every New Brunswicker deserves accessible, timely reproductive healthcare, and this service is here to make it easier and more coordinated.

Learn more: https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/health-wellness/sexual-health/abortion.html