Every once in a while something like this rears its ugly head.
It's seen across the country. And now here in the Twin Cities.
Street drugs laced with something deadly.
You never know what's in illegal drugs sold on street corners, in alleys or other clandestine locations. Methamphetamine, for example. Meth makers use such a wide variety of chemicals there's no telling what's in that stuff.
Heroin, too. It's always cut with other substances to stretch the supply and increase the profit. But for some time now, dealers have been adding fentanyl to increase the kick. But fetanyl can be deadly in even small doses, and there's no way for a user to know the concentration.
This week Texas-side police warned that an opioid suspected of being laced with some other substance led to the overdose death of a 25-year-old woman and the hospitalization of a man who was with her.
Those who use illegal drugs know they are playing with fire. They know the risk of overdose or catching HIV or hepatitis from a shared needle. And they have heard all the moral arguments, too. But the need to satisfy their craving trumps all that.
We hope they finally take this warning to heart. The stakes just got higher. And help is available if they want it.