Oklahoma City Faces Influx of Purposefully-Mislabeled Opioids

It is difficult for any state to say that it has not been impacted by the opioid epidemic that has besieged the country the last few years. Every week, there is a story about a new drug, or a rash of deaths related to overdoses, or attempts to set up safe zones for people to use drugs. Oklahoma has been no different, though the most recent spate of incidents has law enforcement concerned.

The problems have centered around pills that have been labeled or pressed to look like the commonly-abused prescription opioid oxycodone, but that in actuality are made of or contain the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fentanyl is an incredibly lethal opioid that can be deadly in the smallest of doses. Oklahoma’s problems with these counterfeit pills are still small compared to the thousands of individuals in the city and state that die each year from overdoses: these pills have only been blamed for two overdoses, one of which lead to death.

“The real concern with these pills is that there is no way for dealers, users, or law enforcement to know the background or custody history of the pill they are purchasing illegally off the street,” said Clayton T. Hasbrook, an Oklahoma City Dangerous Drugs Attorney with the law firm of Hasbrook & Hasbrook in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Without certainty regarding the production or contents of these medications, users are at extreme risk of overdose.

Fentanyl is anywhere from 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and as such even small doses can result in death. Having a drug introduced into the community that is designed to look like a popular narcotic poses a serious risk to everyone, from heavy abusers to individuals seeking access to the medication for recreation.

The reasons for this mislabeling are unknown, but it is safe to assume that the opioid crisis has led to a crackdown on the free-prescribing of opioids like oxycodone that has greatly restricted the access of dealers and abusers to these medications. Because of this, dealers and illegal drug manufacturers are seeking alternatives that will provide the same “high” but be easier to access. Because fentanyl is produced throughout the world and because chemically it attaches to the same receptors in the brain as oxycodone, dealers and producers likely see it as a viable alternative.

These dangerous drugs create risks for at-risk members of the community whose addictions already expose them to a high risk of overdoses. However, anyone with a history of abusing opioids is at risk of accidentally ingesting one of these mislabeled drugs, and everyone with exposure should be aware of this risk.

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