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The heroin lot circulating in Philadelphia, considered responsible for at least 165 overdoses last weekend, may have been contaminated with a mixture of fentanyl and a toxic synthetic cannabinoid.
In a tweet posted on Wednesday, Barry K. Logan, executive director of the Center for Research and Education in Forensic Science (SCHER) in Willow Grove, said the lab had tested samples of the drug and found that It contained 5-fluor-ADB, a synthetic cannabinoid, for forensic and research applications
There are dozens of synthetic cannabinoids, sometimes referred to as "synthetic drugs"; some were sold on the street under names like K2 and Spice.
"The CFSRE has had the opportunity to test a batch of Santa Muerte heroin circulating in the Philadelphia area and has been linked to several overdoses. The lot contained heroin, fentanyl and also 5-fluor-ADB, a potent and toxic synthetic cannabinoid. "Synthetic cannabinoids are psychotropic chemicals that are thought to be much more potent and unpredictable than cannabinoids found in natural marijuana." Synthetic materials are either sprayed on dried, shredded plant material so that they can be smoked or sold as liquids to vaporize and inhale into electronic cigarettes and other devices, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
"said James Garrow, spokesman for the Department of Philadelphia Public Health
Garrow stated that the heroine tested by the Willow Grove Lab came from an independent purchase, and not from a victim of overdose. been sold outside the city limits, and not near the place where overdoses occurred in the Kensington district of Philadelphia
"That said, the reactions that the victims have resuscitated are compatible with the synthetic cannabinoid. We do not want to make definitive confirmation until we know more, "wrote Garrow in an email
The CFSRE had the opportunity to test a lot of Santa Muerte heroin circulating in the Philadelphia area was linked to several overdoses.The batch contained heroin, fentanyl and also 5-fluor-ADB, a potent and toxic synthetic cannabinoid @ForSciResearch pic .twitter.com/rf2IwoT5on
– Barry K Logan (@BarryKLoganTox) July 25, 2018
Montgomery County issued a warning about overdoses in Philadelphia over the weekend,
Drugs labeled "Santa Muerte" had been specifically sought after by long-time heroin users who feared an overdose of fentanyl, as this patch had long been a sign of pure heroin
once noted at the time. National scale for its purity and its cheap, is now almost completely contaminated, largely with synthetic fentanyl opioid and sometimes with other substances, police authorities said.
The possible contamination and recent overdoses health commissioner of the city, earlier this week for the city to open a secure injection site, a controlled environment where people who use drugs can get help faster in case of overdose.
The addition of other ingredients in heroin or other drugs has long been a problem.
On July 19, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning after several deaths were linked to a synthetic cannabinoid contaminated with brodifacoum. In April 2015, three state health departments issued warnings about an increase in emergency room visits after people became seriously ill after using synthetic drugs known as K2. or spices. 19659019] Publication:
