Pocatello Police warn of dangerous drugs

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - The Pocatello Police Department recently investigated a case where a local citizen consumed marijuana products that appears to have been laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, and/or amphetamine.
 
The Pocatello Police Department, in cooperation with the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, pursued this case, identified the suspects responsible for the distribution of the marijuana products, and initial field tests conducted suggest the products were in fact, laced with fentanyl and/or amphetamine. 

Those involved will be charged accordingly in consultation with the Bannock County Prosecutors Office.

The Pocatello Police Department is aware of an increasing number of cases nationally in which marijuana has been laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl has been increasingly found in other drugs including cocaine, heroin, MDMA and amphetamines. 
 
Fentanyl can be found in various forms, from powders to counterfeit pills. The amount of fentanyl in counterfeit pills varies greatly from pill to pill with a potentially lethal dose being found in between 27% and up to 42% of pills tested according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). People who knowingly or unknowingly ingest fentanyl are at significant risk of an opioid overdose. The symptoms include unresponsiveness, unconsciousness, snoring or gurgling sounds, cold or clammy skin, discolored lips or fingernails, and slowed or stopped breathing. Fentanyl overdoses have become a leading cause of deaths in young adults. In 2020, there were 56,516 deaths due to synthetic opioids reported by the National Institute of Health.
 
The Pocatello Police Department strongly encourages all citizens not to consume drugs that are not lawfully obtained.