Gatineau police officers are finding much more fentanyl, Oxycontin and speed in the city than in recent years, the force's numbers show, a change experts say is because of their low cost and availability.

Statistics sent to Radio-Canada show police have seized more than eight times more of the stimulant speed in pill form as of the second-last week of September this year, compared to 2014.

They've taken approximately 13 times the amount of Oxycontin pills off the market in 2016 compared to 2014 and are seeing powdered speed, powdered Oxycontin and fentanyl in 2016 where they hadn't in previous years.

The numbers don't reflect the final week of September or first few days of October, including 20 grams of powdered fentanyl police seized on Friday — which police said was unusual, as they'd only previously seen it in pill or patch form.

Speed replacing crack cocaine

The head of a health centre that works with drug users who want to quit says one thing the numbers show is Gatineau police, who weren't available for comment over the weekend, are doing a good job of finding more drugs.

Yves Séguin of the Centre d'intervention et de prévention en toxicomanie de l'Outaouais (CIPTO) said he thinks they also show changes in the popularity of drugs in Gatineau, which he hears from drug users who are helped by the centre.

"It's more costly to buy crack or cocaine than speed. Speed is very cheap on the street," he said.

"The other thing is we have laboratories here in Canada now making different drugs … drugs that used to be sold in the pharmacy, now they're making a clone of it."

Gatineau police seized 2,454.7 grams of crack cocaine in 2014, then 1,717.9 grams last year and 741.7 grams so far this year.

Séguin said people in Gatineau are now using powdered speed for a quicker high, which is troubling because it's making people get into using needles, which comes with increased health risks such as infection.

Market appeal, access

Another reason given is availability and appeal in any given area.

Pierre-Yves Bourduas, a former RCMP officer, says fentanyl can now be purchased more easily than heroin. (CBC)

"Drugs such as fentanyl, there's been a surge of these types of drugs and seizures, for instance in Gatineau, which seems to indicate the market is calling for these types of drugs," said Pierre-Yves Bourdas, a former police officer and drug expert.

"For fentanyl or other drugs like MDMA, it's what the people want as a buzz, what they're looking for," Séguin said.

"[If] they're looking for a downer, fentanyl is now the new drug because it can maybe be purchased more easily than heroin."

Fentanyl and Oxycontin have been in the national spotlight as very strong painkillers that are being abused as street drugs, causing overdose issues in cities across North America.

Both Séguin and Bourduas said education about the dangers of various drugs is needed to help, with Bourduas adding it would be helpful to have more control over the chemicals used to make man-made drugs.