In Chicago, there’s a rising alarm among authorities about dangerous drug mixtures flooding the city’s illicit market. A new alert has been issued by the area’s chief drug enforcement agency, urging parents and children to be cautious as these lethal combinations become more prevalent.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Chicago Field Division is particularly concerned about the increasing prevalence of fentanyl—a highly potent opioid—being combined with synthetic tranquilizers at unprecedented levels. This alarming trend is raising red flags across the city.
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In a conversation with the ABC7 I-Team, Todd Smith, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Chicago, emphasized the grave risk posed by these toxic cocktails. He noted the marked increase in their presence within the Chicago area, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and caution.
Smith highlighted a critical issue: traditional overdose treatments like Narcan are ineffective against these combinations. “The biggest challenge with xylazine and medetomidine is that Narcan will not reduce. Narcan will not reverse if you go into an overdose,” he explained.
Xylazine and medetomidine, both synthetic tranquilizers typically used for animals, are not opioids. When these substances are mixed with fentanyl in pill or powder form, they render Narcan ineffective in reversing overdoses.
In some instances, surviving an overdose from these mixtures may require more drastic, physical intervention, further complicating the efforts of first responders and healthcare professionals.
“You have to administer CPR to keep that person alive. If you don’t, they’re going to die,” explained Smith, who also said because of renewed relations with the Mexican government to intercept fentanyl precursors into the country, cartels have been forced to pivot to keep their product potent with hazardous new blends.
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“We’ve been working for years with the government of Mexico, but most recently, there has been better collaboration with the Mexican government to go after these foreign terrorist organizations. To try to intercept those shipments before they arrive to Mexico and can be put into the illicit drug supply market,” Smith said.
And while the DEA is fervently fighting fentanyl and other deadly drugs, it’s not lost on the city’s top drug enforcer there are other substances of concern where the DEA does not have jurisdiction such as tianeptine , also known as gas station heroin. Over the counter sales in Illinois are now prohibited but recently the drug was blamed for a death in Pennsylvania.
“The real challenge is, is getting people prosecuted when the laws don’t exist, we can’t prosecute people,” Smith said. “So, we’ve got a lot of threats facing us in the Chicago area. You know, we’re laser focused on illicit fentanyl and what’s driving overdoses, but we’re keenly aware of these, these highly addictive substances being sold at smoke shops and gas stations.”
Smith also emphasized the warning comes at an inflection point in the year as many young people are gathering for summer activities and celebrating transitions to high school and college. He is asking parents to have the conversation: if you don’t know where it’s from, don’t put it in your body.
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