CLEVELAND — There are seven Drug Enforcement Administration laboratories across the country where chemists test, analyze and watch for drug trends.
“We are in a position, here in the laboratory, that if something new is emerging by conducting analysis here, we are able to identify something new that would be there,” said Melanie Domagala, the DEA's Chicago Laboratory director.
Many times, nationwide trends start right here in Ohio.
“Ohio historically has been one of the first places, the first states that we see a lot of these trends beginning, “ said Orville Greene, DEA special agent in charge of the Detroit Division.
There are already troubling trends on law enforcement’s radar for 2023.
“It’s something that has our attention,” Greene said.
There is concern about the drug Xylazine. Greene said it’s turning up in illegal drugs seized by DEA Agents. Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer and is not intended for humans. Authorities said it is being mixed with Fentanyl.
“If the Xylazine, for example, is just an additive in the Fentanyl, the Naloxone will be effective in reversing the effect of the opioid but not necessarily that of Xylazine,” Greene said.
Carole Negus is on the front line of the opioid epidemic.
“I think this is the most frightening drug epidemic that I have ever seen,” she said. Negus is the director of nursing at Stella Maris, a substance and drug abuse treatment center in Cleveland.
Negus sees trends early.
“I can’t imagine it could get any worse. I want to knock on wood with that statement because I am fearful it’s going to get worse,” she said.
Negus worries about what is coming next.
“I feel like the people who are producing these drugs in a lab, because they are all pretty much synthetically produced today, are really smart and always one step ahead of us. We’re constantly kind of running behind trying to figure out what’s the next thing that we can do to try and stop all these people from dying,” Negus said.
Spotting drug trends early is key, said DEA officials. A new trend causing problems and concern for law enforcement is the way drugs are sold.
“The dangerous trend that we’re seeing is online purchasing, gone are the days of someone standing on a street corner where law enforcement can spot and investigate. Now these transactions are taking place online, every social media platform,” said Brian McNeal, DEA public information officer of the Detroit Division.
Greene mentioned that younger people are at risk for this dangerous trend.
“It’s extremely easy, especially for younger people who are very adept at manipulating social media to find drug dealers on these sites,” Greene said.
Although drug deals still happen in person, officials said there has been an increase in dope being shipped right to the buyer’s door.
“It’s a bit more anonymous, and it makes our jobs more difficult because there is no street corner to sit on and wait for someone to show up,” Greene said.
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