Sheriff warns of drug-soaked pieces of paper

Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart issued a warning Wednesday about the danger of paper soaked with synthetic drugs, after his investigators seized several pieces from an inmate at the county jail recently.

Three of the papers seized were sent to a forensic lab, where they tested positive for 10 separate drugs, including a powerful synthetic opioid, an animal sedative, and multiple synthetic cannabinoids and benzodiazepines.

The sheriff’s office called the jail “a microcosm of the community” and reflective of what’s happening outside its walls.

“The results (of the) test samples exemplify what appears to be an emergent and alarming trend — essentially a potpourri of synthetic cannabinoids laced with other drugs — especially the nitazene analogues,” Alex Krotulski, director of toxicology and chemistry for the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, said in a news release.

“While it’s impossible to know exactly why people are cooking up these combinations, I suspect they are simply ordering these substances from China or India and mixing them with very little understanding of how different substances interact or what constitutes a lethal dose,” he added.

In response to the trend, the sheriff’s office said it’s launched an aggressive multi- pronged effort that has led to felony charges against more than 60 individuals for offenses related to drug-soaked paper.

The sheriff’s office also is working with Cook County Health on an ongoing video awareness campaign, expanding access to drug treatment programs and ensuring the availability of overdose-reversal medication, officials said.