Utah authorities warn of mixed ‘designer drug’ pills

Utah authorities are warning state residents about the increasing presence and potency of so-called “designer drugs” that mix several dangerous compounds into one pill, a dangerous trend that led to the death of two Park City teenagers and nearly killed another teen in northern Utah.

Drugs such as “pink,” which killed the two teenagers and other synthetic opioids fit under an overarching trend of “designer drugs.” The DEA classified pink as a Schedule 1 Drug after the deaths.

Two of the compounds some of these pills contain are fentanyl and methamphetamine. Fentanyl can be 100 times more potent than heroin.

Utah Crime Lab Director Jay Henry says officials are working to determine the compounds being created and sold. If they can classify more “designer drugs” as scheduled, it might drop the drugs’ street sales.