Advocates urge caution amid overdose spike in Fredericton

Fredericton City Hall is pictured on April 24, 2026. (Avery MacRae/CTV News Atlantic)

As an illicit drug supply causes a spike in overdoes in the City of Fredericton, advocates are urging extreme caution to users.

On Thursday, Fredericton police put out a news release warning the public about a “concerning spike” in overdoses in the community.

So far in 2026, police alone have responded to 62 overdose calls, compared to 27 this time last year. Nine of those overdose calls happened this past week alone.

Warren Maddox is the executive director of the Fredericton Homeless Shelters, where he deals with some users each day. He says the news about a bad batch of drugs doesn’t come as a surprise these days.

While he hasn’t been told what exactly this latest strain is in Fredericton, Maddox says it behaves like carfentanil, which is 100 times more potent than regular fentanyl.

He admits there is some angst among people with the more toxic drugs in circulation, but notes it won’t be keeping people away from the substances.

“When you suffer from addiction, caution goes out the window,” says Maddox. “You’re not driven by your own health concerns, you’re driven by the addiction. So, that risk or that aversion to risk is really not there. Your drive is to find the next hit to keep you from getting sick.”

When asked what advice he would give to users, Maddox says people should not be taking any drugs alone in case something goes wrong.

He also says the drugs with higher toxicity aren’t responding to naloxone the same, which is a concern for front-line agencies who work with the vulnerable population.

“There’s stuff out there now that your first time may very well be your last time,” Maddox warns. “Keep an eye on your kids and make sure they’re aware of what’s out there in the world and don’t do it.”

CTV reached out to Fredericton police, who were unavailable for an interview Friday.

In their news release, the force reminds residents the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act will protect those worried about being arrested for drug use when calling for help during an overdose.

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