The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) released a public safety notice to warn Ohioans of the various forms of fentanyl being found across the state.
According to ONIC executive director Cynthia Peterman, ONIC found fentanyl in six different physical forms in Ohio, including powder, tablets, chalk, rocks, black tar, and gum. The various forms reported in Ohio contained fentanyl primarily mixed with other substances.
“The ONIC is sharing this information to warn Ohioans that dangerous and potentially lethal drugs are now being seen in shapes and forms beyond the previously reported counterfeit pill form that could be attractive to children. Be vigilant and don’t take any medication that has not been prescribed to you by a physician,” Peterman said.
According to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, drug cartels are constantly changing the appearance of the drugs that they make, and these drugs are extremely dangerous.
“There is no quality control in the illicit drug trade, and drug trafficking cartels are constantly changing the look and composition of the drugs they’re pushing. Fentanyl in any form is dangerous even in extremely small amounts, so it’s important that citizens are aware of the various forms of fentanyl we’ve seen in Ohio, as well as the forms that could be coming,” DeWine said.
Other locations outside of Ohio have also discovered fentanyl in the form of pellets, popcorn, Lego-shaped blocks, puzzle pieces, and confetti tablets. Although the ONIC has not seen these forms yet in Ohio, Peterman said they could eventually find their way to Ohio or somewhere similar.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) notes that a 2-3 milligram dose is fatal in most adults. Pharmacies also make powerful drugs for legal prescription use.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a report last year, saying that for the first time in modern history, over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in a year. Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs caused approximately two-thirds of those deaths.
The Ohio Department of Health states that fentanyl took part in 81 percent of overdose deaths in 2020, often in combination with other drugs. That percentage was up from 76 percent in 2019, 73 percent in 2018, and 71 percent in 2017.
The DEA states that drug cartels have expanded their inventory to sell fentanyl pills in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes to make the drugs more appealing to the user.
According to the United States Department of Justice, the DEA first received reports of rainbow fentanyl in February of last year, and the agency has found it in 21 states.
An executive order signed by DeWine in July 2019 to support regional law enforcement in conducting intelligence-driven drug trafficking investigations established the specialist criminal intelligence unit called ONIC. ONIC is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and has offices in Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus. Local law enforcement agencies and drug task forces around Ohio receive investigative, analytical, and digital forensic support from ONIC’s computer forensic experts and criminal intelligence analysts.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
