COLOMBIA, SC – Following a recent series of drug overdoses involving potent counterfeit benzodiazepines in the northern part of the state, the South Carolina Department of Environmental and Health Control (DHEC) and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services ( South Carolina’s DAODAS) are emphasizing that any drugs purchased online or from any source that do not require a valid prescription pose a significant health risk.
Benzodiazepines are a type of medication approved for use in the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, seizures and acute alcohol withdrawal. Family names include Valium and Xanax.
Police in Greer recently seized a pill press that was probably used to produce large quantities of pills marketed as Xanax and contained the potent substance clonazolam. Several overdoses in the northern region of the state have been linked to this substance, and press drugs have also been sold across the country via online media.
“Buying drugs online without a prescription can be very dangerous because they can be counterfeit, which means they were created in an uncontrolled environment and can also contain other harmful ingredients,” said Emma Kennedy, director of the Injury and Abuse Prevention Division. DHEC substances. “If the counterfeit pills are mixed with fentanyl, as is often the case, they can be particularly lethal. Now is the time to talk to your loved ones and check in with your school, middle and high school children, to remind them of these dangers.
Deaths from overdoses involving the co-use of benzodiazepines and opioids have increased nationally in recent years. Suspected opioid overdoses, including among people with prescribed benzodiazepines, were about 40-50 percent higher in South Carolina in 2020 than in 2019. A health statement issued in December, based on recently released provisional information from 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it also cites synthetic opioids as the main driver of the increase in opioid overdoses since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The combined use, even of a legitimate and prescribed benzodiazepine, with opioids can be particularly unsafe because both types of drugs calm the person and suppress breathing. People should always carefully follow the dosage instructions for prescribed drugs and do not combine them with alcohol and / or illegal substances. Although Narcan cannot reverse the effects of a potent benzodiazepine, it can still prevent overdose death in situations where opioids and benzodiazepines are used together.
“Statistics show that more than 50 percent of opioids misused are purchased from friends and family, so unused prescription drugs should be discarded to eliminate the risk of misuse,” said Michelle Nienhius, manager of prevention and intervention services from DAODAS. “Drug disposal sites are available year-round, and South Carolina residents can find a convenient location at justplainkillers.com/drug-safety.” The Mount Pleasant Police Department offers a drug disposal box in its main lobby.
For more informations:
- DEA resource “Get Smart About Drugs” for parents and family: what you should know and how to protect your children from buying drugs online.
- For those who are experiencing substance use problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a 24/7 support line available at 1-844-SC-HOPES.
- For information on preventing opioid overdose, the opioid antidote Naloxone, how to find a recovery provider, data on pain control and overdose, visit www.justplainkillers.com.
- Additional information about DHEC opioid prevention programs for families and community organizations is available at www.scdhec.gov/opioid-epidemic.