Emergence of Desalkylgidazepam, a novel benzodiazepine in Canada
Infosheet by Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service
Data from April 25, 2022 to April 24, 2023
On this page
- Drug Analysis Service
- Desalkylgidazepam
- Overview
- Co-occurring substances
- Quick statistics
- Suggested citation
Drug Analysis Service
Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service (DAS) operates laboratories across Canada that analyze suspected illegal drugs seized by Canadian law enforcement agencies and samples submitted by public health partners. DAS data is solely based on samples submitted to our laboratories and as such, samples analyzed by DAS may not be completely representative of drug seizure in Canada, including substances circulating on the market. DAS data should therefore be used with caution when determining trends or drawing conclusions about the type and nature of substances circulating in the illicit market. The data below represent the number of times a substance was identified in submitted samples. A single sample may contain more than one substance. For the purpose of this publication, one identification represents a unique sample as Desalkylgidazepam can only be identified once in each sample.
Desalkylgidazepam
Other names: Bromo-nordazepam, Bromonordiazepam
IUPAC: 7-bromo-5-phenyl-1,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one
Controlled status in Canada: Controlled and Substances Act, Schedule IV, Item 18
Chemical (Pharmacological) Class: Benzodiazepine (BZD) Class (Sedative/ Hypnotic)
First identification by the Drug Analysis Service (DAS): April 25, 2022, Drayton Valley, Alberta
Overview
Desalkylgidazepam was first identified by DAS on April 25,2022 in a sample submitted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from Drayton Valley in Alberta. In the year following its first identification (April 25, 2022 to April 24, 2023), 563 samples analysed by DAS contained Desalkylgidazepam. 37.5% of samples containing Desalkylgidazepam were submitted by law enforcement agencies from Ontario, 32.7% from British Columbia and 26.8% from Alberta (Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Text description
| Province/Territory | 2022 | 2023 | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | ||
| Alberta | 11 | 49 | 13 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 151 |
| British Columbia | - | 9 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 16 | 32 | 14 | 6 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 184 |
| Manitoba | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| New Brunswick | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Northwest Territories | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nova Scotia | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Nunavut | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Ontario | - | - | - | 3 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 45 | 36 | 21 | 25 | 8 | 32 | 211 |
| Prince Edward Island | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Quebec | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 4 | - | 9 |
| Saskatchewan | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Yukon | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 11 | 58 | 19 | 41 | 33 | 23 | 76 | 64 | 48 | 59 | 44 | 39 | 48 | 563 |
Co-occurring substances
Fentanyl was identified in 95.2% of samples containing Desalkylgidazepam. Meanwhile, Bromazolam and Para-Fluorofentanyl were identified in 21.3% and 11.9% of the samples containing Desalkylgidazepam respectively (Figure 2).
Figure 2 - Text description
| Name | Pharmacological Class | Percent (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Fentanyl | Opioid | 95.2 |
| Caffeine | Not applicableFootnote § | 72.8 |
| Bromazolam | Sedative/Hypnotic | 21.3 |
| Dimethylsulphone | Not applicable | 17.6 |
| para-Fluorofentanyl | Opioid | 11.9 |
| Diphenhydramine | Sedative/Hypnotic | 9.4 |
| Xylazine | Sedative/Hypnotic | 7.8 |
| Carfentanil | Opioid | 4.6 |
| Lidocaine | Not applicable | 4.4 |
| Methamphetamine | Stimulant | 3.2 |
|
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Quick statistics
- 563 samples contained Desalkylgidazepam in the year following the first identification.
- 97.3% of samples containing Desalkylgidazepam were in powder form.
- 79.2% of samples containing Desalkylgidazepam contained 2 or more co-occurring substances.
- 95.2% of samples containing Desalkylgidazepam contained Fentanyl
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2023
Cat.: H139-55/2023E-PDF ׀ ISBN: 978-0-660-68251-8 ׀ Pub.: 230489
Suggested citation
Government of Canada. (2023). Health Canada Drug Analysis Service. Infosheet: Emergence of Desalkylgidazepam, a novel benzodiazepine in Canada. Longueuil (QC), 2023. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/emergence-desalkylgidazepam-novel-benzodiazepine-canada.html.
For more information, please contact Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service.
Drug Analysis Service– Health Canada:
- Marie-Line Gilbert
- Michèle Boileau-Falardeau
- Caroline Maurice-Gélinas
- Janike Pitre
- Benoit Archambault
Public Health Agency of Canada:
- Cindy Leung Soo
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