As many people turn to synthetic equivalents of substances, more stories appear of the deadly consequence of doing so. The latest comes from Connecticut Park close to Yale University. A shocking 70 people were found to have overdosed on synthetic marijuana, which it’s believed was laced with fentanyl; the opioid.
While no people have yet died from the overdose, reports claim that two sufferers are currently dealing with life-threatening consequences to the overdose. This took place on Wednesday, 15th August, at around 8AM. With four patients refusing treatment on-site, around 76 people were have told to have suffered from the overdose.
The majority were discharged without the need for treatment, though some did leave before receiving any treatment. The majority of the overdoses took place at New Haven Green, a park found in downtown, across from Yale University.
This follows an extensive growth in synthetic marijuana overdoses, with hundreds being reported across the United States in recent times. According to New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell, speaking to WVIT-TV, ‘K2’ is “taking people out very quickly, people having respiratory failure. Don’t put your life in harm.”
According to the AP, “Paramedics and police officers remained at the park all day as more people fell ill. Some became unconscious and others vomited, authorities said. Emergency responders rushed to one victim as officials were giving a news conference nearby late Wednesday morning.
“New Haven first responders were called to a similar overdose outbreak on the Green on July 4, when more than a dozen people were sick from synthetic marijuana. The city also saw more than a dozen synthetic marijuana overdoses in late January. No deaths were reported in either outbreak.”
A growing problem
The belief at the moment is that the synthetic cannabis being used, known as K2, was laced with fentanyl. With most patients being treated for the respiratory problems mentioned above by Mr. Campbell, this growing problem needs to be contained. Many forms of synthetic drugs are found to be laced with lethal extras, and it could cause a major problem as time goes on for law enforcement.
Amidst the largest opioid crisis arguably ever seen in the United States, the fact that other synthetic drugs are now being laced poses serious problems over safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 72,000 Americans died in 2017 alone from drug overdose: a 10% rise on the previous statistics found.
With the potency of drugs growing higher than ever alongside the use of opioids on an industrial scale, it’s hard to say what – or how – the solution would be to such an increase.