Police in Halifax are warning people about a potentially dangerous drug stolen from a hospital.
In early August, at least 16 vials of Midazolam are thought to have been stolen from Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. The narcotic, usually used as a sedative before medical procedures, can be used as a date-rape drug.
“It could easily be mixed into a drink and then used to wipe your memory, so you wouldn’t remember anything from the night in question,” says Halifax Regional Police Const. Pierre Bourdages.
John Gillis, a spokesman for the Capital District Health Authority, says the hospital noticed the missing drugs in early August, but attempted to solve the problem internally. They discovered the vials were taken from carts on multiple floors.
“It would suggest that someone who knew what they were looking for went after them,” says Gillis.
Bourdages says the police received a call from the health authority on August 14. They waited a week before alerting the public to make sure the disappearance wasn’t an accounting error.
Police say those at bars should be especially careful with their drinks – a warning they hope the thousands of university students returning for the fall semester will take to heart.
“It’s definitely scary,” says university student Taylor Goodwin. “I want to be looking out for my friends and making sure they’re not getting into any situations they wouldn’t want to be in.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Alyse Hand
