As the opioid crisis continues to rage across America, a new and very significant danger has emerged.
Cocaine laced with Fentanyl.
Fentanyl is dangerous, and it’s often lethal. It’s a synthetic opioid that’s between 50 and 100 times more powerful than morphine.
And it kills quickly – so quickly that overdose victims are often dead before first responders can intervene.
Who would add Fentanyl to cocaine?
The dangerous practice of adding fentanyl to cocaine is typically part of a practice called speedballing. Speedballing involves mixing a stimulant (cocaine) with a powerful depressant (any opioid drug) for the purposes of producing a more dramatic high.
Sadly – all across New England and the U.S., many people who think they’re using just cocaine (a bad idea in its own right) are in fact using cocaine laced with Fentanyl and dying.
Connecticut actually reports the number of deaths from cocaine laced in this fashion and has seen a 420 percent increase in such deaths from this combination in just the last three years.
Can cocaine alone kill?
Yes. While less deadly than opioids, cocaine use can be fatal.
Medical authorities are deeply concerned about the rise of this contaminated cocaine. Some health authorities believe much of the lethal cocaine available has only inadvertently been contaminated with Fentanyl by drug dealers whose packaging process is simply sloppy.
Others in medicine and law enforcement are less sure – worried that the lacing of cocaine is an intentional act by drug dealers seeking to expand the market of people addicted to opioid drugs.
And sadly, it appears that African-Americans are currently at the greatest risk. Over the space of the last three years, there has been almost a 14-fold increase in fentanyl deaths among African-Americans that could be attributed to mixtures of fentanyl with cocaine.
If you are struggling with an addiction to drugs and/or alcohol and need help in Connecticut or New Hampshire, the recovery teams at Aware Recovery Care are here to help. Our unique model of care is giving clients a 6X better chance of recovery when compared to traditional inpatient rehab care. To learn more or to talk to one of our Recovery Specialists, visit www.awarerecoverycare.com.
