Public health officials in Chicago are telling people who are going to Lollapalooza to test their drugs first to make sure they are not laced with fentanyl.
A day before the four-day music festival was to start in Grant Park, the Chicago Department of Public Health sent out a warning.
A tweet from CDPH says, "ATTENTION Chicago and LOLLA FANS." "Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that can cause an overdose quickly. Before you take drugs, test them, carry Narcan, and don't do drugs alone. If you think someone has taken too much, call 911."
CDPH said that fentanyl is found in more than just heroin. It is also in cocaine, MDMA, and other drugs. The department also said that "easy-to-access Narcan dispenser kits" with Narcan and fentanyl test strips are available at Chicago public libraries.
Narcan, which is also called Naloxone, is a drug that can be used to stop an overdose and save lives. When someone takes too many opioids, their blood pressure drops, their heart rate slows, their breathing slows or stops, their lips turn blue, and their skin turns pale.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid behind a massive spike in overdose deaths across the U.S. in recent years. Just a 2 mg dose is enough to kill a user with zero tolerance, whereas 60 mg of heroin is considered a lethal dose.
ATTN Chicago & LOLLA FANS: Fentanyl is a strong opioid that can easily cause overdose. Test your drugs before you use, carry Narcan, and don't use alone. Call 911 if you suspect someone is overdosing.
— CDPH | Chicago Department of Public Health (@ChiPublicHealth) July 27, 2022
Get fentanyl test strips and Narcan by emailing [email protected].
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Last year, there were close to 1,300 deaths from fentanyl poisoning in Chicago alone. Last week, the DEA said that it was almost certain that fentanyl would be at Lollapalooza.
"There will be people at Lollapalooza with backpacks selling pills with fentanyl in them. Shane Catone of the DEA in Chicago told FOX 32, "There's no doubt in my mind." "For people who sell drugs, Lollapalooza is like Christmas."
The music festival that happens every year starts on Thursday and ends on Sunday, July 31.
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