Man who died in jail had opiate in blood, pills in pants

UBC professor of medicine Dr. Evan Wood was interviewed for a Canadian Press story on CTV News about a Cape Breton man who died after entering his jail cell with high levels of methadone in his blood.

Wood also said any time methadone use is suspected it should be a cause for concern.

“In the case of methadone or another opioid, and similarly if a benzodiazepine ingestion was suspected, this should be viewed as a medical emergency and the individual transferred to an emergency department or other suitable setting,” he said.