Fentanyl-laced drugs creating a ‘different level of danger’ in Charlotte, police say

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police’s narcotics unit buys lots of drugs as part of its investigations, but Lt. Sean Mitchell says he’s seeing an increase in drugs laced with fentanyl.

Narcotics laced with the synthetic opioid are creating a “whole different level of danger,” Mitchell said. Fentanyl is so dangerous, anyone who takes it could be dead in moments.

Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Adding fentanyl to drugs creates a higher profit margin because it’s cheaper to produce, Mitchell said.

In the U.S., 107,375 people died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About two-thirds of the cases — more than 71,000— involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Just 2 mg of fentanyl — an amount commonly found in one pill —is enough to kill someone, according to the DEA.

Fentanyl, in all its forms, is the No. 1 drug being distributed in Charlotte, Mitchell said.

If you take it, “it might be the last time that you use drugs,” he said.

Narcan, also known as nalaxone, can help treat an overdose, and it is proving to be highly effective, Mitchell said, but it also presents a new problem after an Narcan doses are administered.

“The person was Narcaned and they survived, and then we go back and they’re dead two days later, because they continually use drugs, even though they’ve been saved probably numerous times with the use of Narcan,” Mitchell said.

So the Narcan is helping, but it’s also making drug addicts feel that if something bad happens, they can just come back from it, Mitchell said.

Drug overdoses increase in NC

Mary Ward, president of the McLeod Addictive Disease Center in Charlotte, said its staff is seeing “alarming trends” with fentanyl.

Over the past 60 days, about 25% of the 2,755 urine tests of those seeking treatment at McLeod tested positive for fentanyl, Ward said, a significant increase since 2020.

The number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in North Carolina also has increased each year since 2016, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Deaths rose from 442 in 2016 to 3,163 in 2021.

So far in 2022, fentanyl has been linked to 1,342 deaths, according to state data.

Mitchell and Ward agree that one of the most dangerous aspects of fentanyl is that those who consume it, don’t realize it. Often, drug users believe they are taking something pure, like cocaine or meth.

Ward said some patients will arrive at McLeod for treatment and say they only do one kind of drug. Then fentanyl shows up in a urine analysis.

“Patients have started becoming alarmed because they’re not realizing that fentanyl is in their system,” Ward said.

It’s most shocking for patients who are chronic marijuana users, she said.

“The public needs to understand that there is no more recreational drug use,” Ward said. “Fentanyl is showing up in every substance that we see.”

Ward said habitual drug users are in danger. “You can’t trust your drug dealer anymore,” she said.

There is treatment and hope, Ward said.

“There’s nothing wrong with seeking treatment, and we need to do a better job as a community of normalizing the conversation around addiction and around issues like fentanyl,” Ward said.

Addiction resources

▪ McCleod Addictive Disease Center: (704) 332-9001.

▪ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

▪ National Suicide Hotline: 9-8-8.

This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 6:40 AM.

Kallie Cox

The Charlotte Observer

Kallie Cox covers public safety for The Charlotte Observer. They grew up in Springfield, Illinois and attended school at SIU Carbondale. They reported on police accountability and LGBTQ immigration barriers for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. And, they previously worked at The Southern Illinoisan before moving to Charlotte. Support my work with a digital subscription