The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a nationwide public health alert warning of “substantial levels” of cocaine laced with the veterinary anti-parasitic drug levamisole. The tainted cocaine has already been blamed for 2 confirmed deaths in 20 cases of a potentially fatal blood disease, according to SAMHSA.
According to an SAMHSA press release, “Ingesting cocaine mixed with levamisole can seriously reduce a person's white blood cells, suppressing immune function and the body's ability to fight off even minor infections.” Snorting, smoking or injecting levamisole-tainted crack or powder cocaine can result in “overwhelming, rapidly-developing, life threatening infections,” states SAMHSA.
In July, the Drug Enforcement Administration found levamisole in over 70 percent of the illicit cocaine samples it analyzed.
SAMHSA warns cocaine users to watch out for symptoms including:
- high fever, chills, or weakness
- swollen glands
- painful sores (mouth, anal)
- any infection that won’t go away or gets worse very fast, including sore throat or mouth sores -skin infections, abscesses -thrush (white coating of the mouth, tongue, or throat) -pneumonia (fever, cough, shortness of breath).
Unfortunately, SAMHSA fails to provide any information on how cocaine tainted with levamisole can be identified prior to use.
Also See: Flash! Illegal Drug Use Tied to Crime!
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