On Sept. 16, the Boulder County Drug Task Force and the Boulder Police Department responded to a suspected overdose death. While there, officers discovered “several granular substances with a texture similar to drywall plaster,” a news release stated.
The substances were tested and found to contain fentanyl. Two substances were found and one was described to be pink and the other was “the color of sand,” according to the news release.
“Deadly powdered fentanyl is in Boulder County’s illicit drug supply, and residents must take extra steps to keep themselves and their friends and family safe. Fentanyl is a hazardous drug that can be manufactured in many different colors and consistencies and can include other dangerous drugs,” said Commander Nick Goldberger, Boulder County Drug Task Force.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is said to be “50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more than morphine,” the news release stated. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported 920 fentanyl-related deaths in 2022 from across the state.
“Boulder County community members should remember that fentanyl shows up in different forms and anyone who uses illicit drugs, or knows someone who uses, should always keep the overdose reversal drug Naloxone with them,” said Madeleine Evanoff, Boulder County Public Health Harm Reduction Specialist. “Any drug that is being purchased through the illicit drug market, such as being sold on the internet or on the streets or by a person you know, is unpredictable and can potentially lead to an overdose.”
BCPH recommends following all these steps to help prevent overdoses:
- Assume that any pills purchased from a non-pharmacy source may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl and follow all precautions to prevent and respond to an overdose.
- Carry Naloxone (aka Narcan) and ensure the people you know also carry it and learn how to administer it. Naloxone can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. Fentanyl is stronger and may require additional doses of Naloxone.
- Always call 911 if you suspect someone has overdosed. Colorado has the Good Samaritan Law, and you will not be charged with drug possession in amounts for personal consumption if you call 911 and remain present until help arrives.
- Don’t use alone. If you can’t be with someone else, plan to have someone check in on you so that they can come help you if needed. If you are with someone else who is also going to use drugs, have someone else check in with both of you.
- Start with a very small dose every time you have something new. You can always add more, but you cannot subtract.
- Test your drugs using fentanyl strips. However, if it does not alert to fentanyl, it does not mean it is not there. The fentanyl may still be in another untested part of the pill or another unknown synthetic.
Naloxone, also known as Narcan or Kloxxado, is covered by most insurance plans or is free from Boulder County Public Health, University of Colorado students’ Wardenburg Health Center, Mental Health Partners and local pharmacies without a prescription.
