Police hunt for dealer of cyanide-laced heroin

[Guest guest]

Police hunt for dealer of cyanide-laced heroin

-----------------------------------------------

Police in Easton, PA have issued an arrest warrant for the man they believe

sold cyanide-laced heroin to at least 6 people who later wound up

hospitalized after taking the drug. The 6 people checked into a pair of

New Jersey hospitals over the weekend after buying the heroin in Easton and

later ingesting it. 3 men wound up at Warren Hospital and another 3 were

taken to an undisclosed hospital in Monmouth County, police said.

Lt. Sam Lobb said it is uncommon to run into bad batches of heroin. Police

do not believe the heroin was cut with cyanide -- the main ingredient in

rat poison -- on purpose but will explore several possibilities, including

the prospect that someone mixed in the poison in an effort to kill junkies.

" I guess there are many possibilities out there as to why someone would do

this, " Lobb said. " I don't know why someone would do that. If you're a drug

dealer you don't want to kill off your customers. "

Police were tipped off about the bad heroin by Newark's New Jersey Poison

Control Center, which told police the users reportedly ingested

cyanide-tainted heroin. After talking to the victims, police seized about

30 bags of suspected heroin with a street value of about $600 from a home.

No one was at the apartment when police arrived.

State police will test the suspected heroin taken from the home to

determine if the substance is in fact mixed with cyanide, Lobb said.

Even if there are potentially lethal batches of heroin circulating on the

street, that will not likely deter hard-core users, said Gail Lutsky, a

drug and alcohol counselor for more than 25 years. " Most people will

think it was just a mistake, that someone cut it wrong, " she said. " When

you have bad dope, usually it's too potent; it's not cut with poison. What

happens is people take the same amount (of the potent batch) and overdose. "

Lutsky said if heroin users hear about the cyanide-laced batch, it will not

likely curtail their thirst for the drug because many addicts consider the

risk of ingesting bad heroin less severe than the pains of

withdrawal. " Even if a junkie knows it's bad, they'll talk themselves into

taking it anyway, " she continued.

" Addicts don't want to go through the withdrawal, " said Lutsky, clinical

coordinator at Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg. Lutsky said she finds

the possibility of a vigilante drug dealer bent on killing junkies " really

remote. " She said the mixing of the cyanide and heroin was probably an

accident.

http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1107338790159890.\

xml

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.hivguidelines.org/images/health-alert-70.doc

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH), and the Philadelphia

Department of Public Health (PDPH) are releasing the following information

regarding probable Cyanide intoxication in heroin users.

The New Jersey Poison Control Center has reported 7 cases of probable

cyanide intoxication in heroin users who are currently hospitalized in 3

different healthcare facilities in central New Jersey.

The first case presented early on 29 Jan [2005], and the most recent case

was admitted early on 30 Jan [2005]. All reported nasally insufflating

heroin. One presented with a lactic acidosis and hypotension and was found

to have an elevated pVO2, the rest presented with nausea, headache, low

potassium and elevated pVO2. The venous blood specimens appeared to be

arterial although 2 had blood drawn from central venous lines, confirmed by

pressure and radiography. The illness is also characterized by agitation,

tachypneia, and tachycardia. Venous blood from these case patients has the

characteristic appearance of oxygenated blood.

3 of the 6 received thiosulfate infusions and transiently improved; they

rebounded and then all received sodium nitrite after which their pVO2

levels dropped to within the normal range. Rebound was seen in 2 of the

patients with pVO2 again over 100.

The source of the heroin has at this time been reported only as from

dealers in Easton, PA and Asbury Park, NJ. Laboratory confirmation of

cyanide in clinical specimens is pending. Criminal and public health

investigations are in progress and the presence of cyanide has not yet been

established in heroin used by the case patients. The source of this

heroin, and the extent of its distribution are unknown at this time.

Clinicians and emergency medical responders caring for individuals with

similar illness and recent history of heroin abuse should consider cyanide

intoxication, and initiate empiric therapy if their diagnostic evaluation

suggests this diagnosis.

Information about cyanide is available at

www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/cyanide/basics/facts.asp, and at

www.atsdr.cdc.gov. Contact the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222

for additional information regarding the diagnosis or treatment of cyanide

poisoning.