Newsletter - New Trends and Emerging Threats - Houston

New Opioids, More Powerful than Fentanyl, are Discovered in D.C. Amid Deadly Wave of Overdoses

11/29/2021 12:00:00 AM

Forensic analysts have identified a new and highly potent family of synthetic opioids in the District’s illicit drug supply, a worrisome discovery in a city already struggling with a wave of fatal overdoses that shows no signs of abating.

Overdose Deaths Accelerating During COVID-19

12/17/2020 12:00:00 AM

Over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). <Full Story>

COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders

4/6/2020 12:00:00 AM

COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders

As people across the U.S. and the rest of the world contend with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the research community should be alert to the possibility that it could hit some populations with substance use disorders (SUDs) particularly hard.

THC Infused Dental Pick Info Bulletin

1/29/2020 2:38:04 PM

(U/OS) The product is marketed under the trade name of Moon Picks™. The product is sold as a wooden “dental pick” that has been saturated with a choice of THC, CBD or a non-marijuana based product, called “XERO”, to help address the condition of “dry mouth”.

Fentanyl Completely Integrated into Black Market

8/15/2019 12:00:00 AM

“Fentanyl is just so completely integrated into our black market drug supply now,” Brennan told Yahoo Finance. “We see fentanyl being sold on the street by itself combined with some dilutants.

Kratom-Related Poisonings Are Soaring, Study Finds

3/11/2019 12:00:00 AM

Kratom is often marketed by its fans as being “safe” because it is plant based. People use it to treat pain, anxiety and depression.

Counterfeit "Oxys" Containing Dangerous Fentanyl

8/16/2018 8:18:20 AM

Police in Gulfport Mississippi have issued a warning to the public (May 7, 2018) about counterfeit Oxycodone tablets that look like regular “oxys” but are actually made of the dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl. Analysis in a DEA lab revealed the pills contained no oxycodone at all.

Counterfeit Pills Laced With Fentanyl Are Ravaging Communities Across North America

5/25/2018 8:40:51 AM

For more than a decade, counterfeit drugs with unreliable ingredients have caused patients suffering by not curing their illnesses. Now, counterfeit drugs with deadly ingredients threaten American lives with just one dose.

Two deaths, 54 other cases of severe bleeding tied to fake weed in Illinois

4/2/2018 12:00:00 AM

Synthetic cannabinoids -- often called Spice, K2 or fake weed -- have been tied to 56 cases of severe bleeding, including two deaths, across Chicago and areas in central Illinois.

All of the cases required hospitalization related to coughing up blood, blood in the urine, bloody nose, bleeding gums and other symptoms. Nine of the cases tested positive for brodifacoum, or rat poison, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday.

Vitamin K Dependent Coagulopathy Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoids (K2/Spice)

3/26/2018 12:00:00 AM

This is a follow-up to the IDPH memo sent March 23, 2018. IDPH has received reports of twoadditional cases of severe bleeding due to a Vitamin K-dependent coagulopathy for a total of six cases reported since March 10, 2018.

Short Answers to Hard Questions About the Opiod Crisis

2/5/2018 12:00:00 AM

With the death toll from drugs rising faster than ever, you might feel that you could use a little catching up. For a quick refresher, and more on the practical effects of a formal declaration of an emergency, here are answers to 12 critical questions.

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'America's deadliest drug' found on streets of Houston

6/27/2017 12:00:00 AM

What has been dubbed "America's deadliest drug" has been found on the streets of Houston, according to city leaders.

Officials said Tuesday that officers recently found 80 grams of a substance that they thought was methamphetamine and sent it to a lab for testing. Those tests revealed that the substance that was found was actually a powerful opioid called carfentanil.

News Update: Crime Lab Identifies Central Georgia Counterfeit Pills

6/14/2017 12:00:00 AM

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab has identified counterfeit pills related to the reported overdoses in the Central Georgia area.

Analysis has confirmed that the pills contain a mixture of two synthetic opioids, cyclopropyl fentanyl and U-47700. Cyclopropyl fentanyl is a fentanyl analogue that is chemically similar to fentanyl.

Watch father tell son his mother died of heroin overdose

10/12/2016 12:00:00 AM

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - An Ohio man is sharing a very personal experience on social media that he hopes will help spread more awareness about drug addiction.

Brenden Bickerstaff-Clark told his 8-year-old son on Monday that his mother died of a heroin overdose.

"This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. My son has no mother because of heroin," Bickerstaff-Clark wrote.

Bickerstaff-Clark, who is a recovering drug addict, is seen in the Facebook video, sitting outside on a table across from his son and a woman.

"Your mommy died last night," Bickerstaff-Clark said.

"What do you mean? My mom," the boy said.

Bickerstaff-Clark's son started crying as the woman next to embraced him.

Shatter/Marijuana Wax

4/14/2016 12:00:00 AM

Marijuana wax resembles honey or butter and goes by the street names: shatter, dabs, budder, and honey oil. The wax is a highly potent THC concentrate that is 10 to 20 times more potent than typical marijuana.