Cocaine is being laced with synthetic opioids in South Florida, cautions DEA

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) Miami Field Division notified recently that in the last two years, forensic chemists discovered opioid-laced cocaine in over 180 samples seized by federal authorities in 21 counties, including Palm Beach and Broward, across the South Florida area. The Miami-Dade County led the seizures with 69 instances of cocaine cut with synthetic opioids, according to the Dec. 15, 2017 release.

Justin Miller, intelligence chief for the DEA’s Miami Field Division, said unwary drug users were under the impression that they were snorting or ingesting straight cocaine, which they weren’t. “Cocaine is being mixed with synthetic opioids,” he said.

In recent years, several instances of cocaine being laced with deadly opioids such as fentanyl or its deadlier analog carfentanil have been reported. Besides, experts say, dealers and drug traffickers are known to contaminate cocaine with other substances like lidocaine, caffeine and benzocaine. These adulterants usually mimic the properties of stimulants, while numbing the impact of cocaine. Moreover, cutting cocaine with synthetic opioids can lead to a lethal combination, particularly in the case of adulterants like high potency fentanyl and its analogs. According to the Florida Medical Examiner’s Commission, 1,769 people died of cocaine-related overdoses in the state in 2016.

The DEA attributed the surge in addiction to Colombian cocaine, entering South Florida through the Caribbean. According to NBC Miami, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Florida seized about 9,500 pounds of cocaine in 2015, recording a 61 percent jump over the seizures in 2014. Unfortunately, while the nation is already battling the current opioid crisis, Colombian cocaine cartels are busy inundating American streets with the deadly white powder that has killed thousands of users in the past years.

Cocaine is popular recreational drug in America

Studies suggest that after marijuana, the use of cocaine is predominant among middle and upper classes of society irrespective of age, sex and social-economic backgrounds. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the number of young Americans, who were first-time cocaine users, shot to an all-time high of 61 percent from 2013 to 2015. The surge in cocaine use is associated with the bumper coca harvest in Colombia. Bolivia, Colombia and Peru are among the world’s largest producers of cocaine, while the U.S. remains the largest market for the illegal drug with an overwhelming consumer base.

Phenomenal quantities of cocaine are trafficked through the Central American-Mexican corridor along the Pacific coast, which is the route of choice to smuggle the drug into the U.S. territory because of limited law enforcement activities in the region. Besides, a significant amount of cocaine consignments enters the U.S. via the Caribbean. Today, most traffickers have surplus cash and resources to invest in high-tech smuggling equipment to clandestinely ship huge amounts of cocaine to different cities in the country. As a part of their modus operandi, drug cartels dispatch huge loads of cocaine from Colombia to Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala or other stopover points in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti, from where they are transported to the U.S.

Addiction to cocaine is treatable

On inhalation or ingestion, cocaine causes a dopamine rush that leads to a feeling of euphoria. As in the case of any intoxicant or drug, repeated use of cocaine can cause long-lasting alterations in the brain’s reward circuit and other systems, which could lead to abuse or addiction. In due course of time, the reward circuit adjusts to the excess dopamine rush triggered by the drug. As a result, individuals abusing cocaine develop tolerance and end up taking stronger and increased number of doses to experience the same level of feel-good sensations.

Cocaine addiction can be treated with timely medical interventions. If you are seeking help for addiction to cocaine or any other substance, you needn’t look further than Sovereign Health to avail the latest treatment options at our reputed cocaine addiction treatment centers. Call our 24/7 helpline or chat online with one of our counselors for more information about our residential cocaine addiction treatment programs.