More than 250 blue fentanyl-laced pills mimicking prescription oxycodone were discovered recently in Lake County, according to a news release from the Lake County General Health District.
Commonly referred to as “Mexican Oxy,” Supervisor of Chemistry and Toxicology at Lake County Crime Laboratory Douglas E. Rohde processed more than 250 fake oxycodone pills.
It used to be hundreds of pills, said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Keith Martin.
“Now, we’re seeing thousands at a time and that’s concerning,” said Martin.
Rohde said the mixture and contents in the pills varied, with some containing fentanyl combined with other fentanyl analogs. Others contained only fentanyl and/or gabapentin mixture, or no controlled substance.
“The level of professionalism of the clandestine tablets is amazing,” said Douglas Rohde, Supervisor of Chemistry and Toxicology at the Lake County Crime Laboratory.
Fentanyl has a 80 to 100 times the potency of morphine, which rapidly suppresses respiration upon use.'
The DEA said the drugs are being made and shipped into the country from Mexico.
“We know Mexican cartels are producing fentanyl disguised as Oxy 30 and sending them to the US,” said Martin.
To help educate communities, a statewide overdose education program called Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided with Naloxone) is hosting free clinics held five times a month throughout Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties.
