TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Due to recent cases and one known death, several agencies are issuing a warning regarding fentanyl found in cocaine.
“Fentanyl is assumed to be in almost all illicit drugs in the community,” said Maureen Roland, RN, director of the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center. “However, we are now starting to see higher concentrations of fentanyl, requiring aggressive measures such as multiple doses of naloxone or naloxone infusions, to treat and save these patients.”
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The Arizona poison system, as part of the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, and the Arizona Public Health and Safety Agencies gave warnings about the illicit drugs being contaminated by fentanyl.
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“While fentanyl contamination in other drugs isn’t new, anytime a new cluster of overdoses occurs, we need to make sure our communities are aware and on heightened alert,” said Steve Dudley, PharmD, DABAT, Director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center. “We want to make sure unsuspecting individuals are aware as they are not expecting nor prepared to be exposed to fentanyl.”
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Marcos Icahuate joined the KGUN team in September 2022. He previously worked on digital content in Southern California's Imperial County where he was raised.
