cannabisnews.com: Cocaine-Opiate Mixture Suspect in 14 of 18 Deaths Cocaine-Opiate Mixture Suspect in 14 of 18 Deaths Posted by FoM on August 15, 2001 at 09:34:16 PT By The Associated Press Source: Boston Herald Authorities say an extremely potent form of heroin or a toxic batch of drugs may be responsible for the deaths of 14 people believed to have overdosed on a mixture of cocaine and opiates known as a ``speedball.''Eighteen overdose deaths have been reported in the past four days, but toxicologists did not detect the heroin-cocaine mixture in four of the victims. The overdoses far surpass the county's usual two or three in an average weekend. A syringe discovered on one of the victims contained a mixture of heroin, cocaine and lidocaine. Small bags of a powder also containing the cocaine-heroin compound were found on another victim.``Historically, it is normally a single pure drug that causes these kinds of deaths. A combination is new,'' said Dr. Joye Carter, Harris County's chief medical examiner.Carter said some of the victims' initial symptoms, including sluggishness and nausea, suggested heroin overdoses. Preliminary toxicology testing was to continue Wednesday.While Mexican black tar heroin typically found in Houston is about 40 percent pure, drug users may have encountered a heroin from Colombia or Southeast Asia that could be 90 percent pure, said Lt. Gray Smith of the Houston Police narcotics division. Police spokesman Alvin Wright said the victims could also have been poisoned by a bad batch of drugs.The victims, mostly Hispanic males, ranged in age from 16 to 46 and were primarily from northeast Houston.The death tally increased Tuesday when Harris County authorities announced that three more people had died from suspected overdoses, adding to a list of 15 during the weekend.Other recent overdoses believed to be linked to the combination were not lethal, including a teen-age boy who had been with one of the victims, police said.``It appears that the stuff is all used up now, or people are responding to the signal: 'Don't take it,''' Houston Police Chief C.O. Bradford told the Houston Chronicle.Houston authorities and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating.Sipriano Lopez, a 35-year-old electrician and divorced father of three, fell unconscious in a relative's car after leaving a nightclub, his sister, Irma Jaime, told The New York Times. She said she wasn't aware that he used drugs.``What he took there, I don't know how to explain,'' she said. ``It just doesn't make any sense, no sense at all to go to sleep and not wake up.''Complete Title: Cocaine-Opiate Mixture Suspected in 14 of 18 Houston Overdose Deaths in Four DaysNewshawk: Nicholas Thimmesch II NORML Media & Communications Source: Boston Herald (MA)Published: Wednesday, August 15, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Boston Herald, Inc.Website: http://www.bostonherald.com/Contact: letterstoeditor bostonherald.comCannabis News Articles - Heroinhttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=heroin END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #9 posted by SsssssstickyDs&S's on August 16, 2001 at 03:34:44 PT Fishy I agree....something is WRONG about this situation, BEYOND the usual "cut and/or impurities" problem...Yes, a direct result of the WOD, but something more...(ok, so I'm a conspiracy-nut, but only because I've seen so much unbelievable shit in this life)...This SMACKS of a plot...that's WAY too many occurances for a normal "bad drug" scenario...People catch on to stuff like "bad ddrugs", way quicker than this...I suspect a "plant" of some sort, on purpose, and/or a multiple-"hit", with added deaths for "camoflage"...(just 'cause you're paranoid, don't mean they ain't really out to get ya! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by dddd on August 16, 2001 at 00:43:26 PT the truth First of all,,it is not very common for a "speedball" concoctionto be sold in one package.Most who would play with this sort ofdynamite deathstone,would mix their own cocktail......Something about this whole story seems really fishy to me...somethingstinks here,,and it aint my ass......It would not be beyond certain authorities to whack some people in thismanner,and then randomly allow a few other stragglers to die,so itwould appear as a "bad batch" of drugs.ddddP.S....back in '69',,,,,Woodstock was now in its' second day. ,,,and if it was 1914,,,the Panama Canal was opened yesterday [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Dan B on August 15, 2001 at 23:21:19 PT: "Single pure drug"? "Historically, it is normally a single pure drug that causes these kinds of deaths. A combination is new," said Dr. Joye Carter, Harris County's chief medical examiner.That is an outright lie. If these deaths were normally caused by a "single pure drug," the only place they would be happening would be the hospital. That has never, historically, been the case. When you buy heroin or cocaine (or both) on the streets, you are never buying a "single pure drug." Just two paragraphs down, Lt. Gray Smith treats us to a rare occasion--a cop giving us the facts:While Mexican black tar heroin typically found in Houston is about 40 percent pure, drug users may have encountered a heroin from Colombia or Southeast Asia that could be 90 percent pure, said Lt. Gray Smith of the Houston Police narcotics division. Police spokesman Alvin Wright said the victims could also have been poisoned by a bad batch of drugs.That means even the best heroin around is still cut with 10% impurities, and bear in mind that 10% can be anything: flour, concrete powder, drain cleaner, powdered sugar, talcum powder, and yes, cocaine. Imagine the kinds of things that can be used to cut something called "black tar heroin." Does anyone remember John Belushi, who died from a "speedball" overdose? If this kind of overdose is so rare, why is it that even 20 years ago when John Belushi died they had a name for this mixture of cocaine and heroin? Why on Earth would there be impurities in heroin? Because prohibition has created a very lucrative, unregulated and criminal black market for these drugs. Don't the prohibitionists realize that leaving these drugs unregulated makes them more dangerous? Absolutely, they know. They're counting on it. Because they harbor hatred toward all drug users, they believe that such deaths are a service to the larger community. Hey, what's a few deaths when you're trying to create a superior race of human beings?The reason they get so hung up on prosecuting people who smoke cannabis is because they can smoke as much as they want, but they just won't die, dammit!Why do I get so upset at inaccuracies such as that given by Dr. Carter? Because that statement was a calculated lie designed to further entrench a gullible public in a belief that these drugs by themselves cause most of the harm. True, one can die from a pure heroin overdose, but any knowledgable and truthful doctor will tell you that the fact these drugs are cut in unreliable proportions with unknown substances causes more harm to users (and to society as a whole) than these drugs would if they were bought and sold in a regulated market by professionals who know what they are doing. There. I needed a good rant.Dan B [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by death on August 15, 2001 at 19:50:21 PT "protecting the citizens" fuck fuck fucky [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by MikeEEEEE on August 15, 2001 at 15:32:13 PT Stupid War = Stupid Results During alcohol prohibition people died from a bad mix of bathtub Gin. It's not surprising that history repeats itself, only today it's a different kind of prohibition that kills people.Just say know. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 15, 2001 at 12:46:11 PT Thank You Patrick Prohibition makes people sneak around to do their drugs and the risks are great as we see in this article. No one should shoot up a drug unless someone is around to help them if they get in trouble. With the situation like it is we will see more deaths and that makes this part of Prohibition so very sad. He was a Navy Seal in Vietnam and that is when he started using Heroin. He fought for many years with his addiction and everyone thought he had it conquered but ultimately he lost the battle like so many others. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by Patrick on August 15, 2001 at 10:44:59 PT My sincere condolences FoM. Sorry to hear about your relative. It is very sad and troubling that this ignorance is allowed to continue. The number of people who even try drugs such as heroin is so small compared to the population as a whole. There is no reason on earth that we as a society should not insure the safety of these people. Addiction is no doubt a trap. However, to continue to make the drugs illegal only leads to more death and addiction not the reverse. Thanks again FoM for providing this wonderful website. Peace. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on August 15, 2001 at 09:57:16 PT Patrick I agree Patrick. I lost a relative to an overdose. He was alone because he didn't want anyone to know and was only found 3 days later in his semi-truck. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Patrick on August 15, 2001 at 09:50:48 PT Zero tolerance = zero intelligence If we lived in a society that put human life first, chances are people doing heroin would not overdose from a lack of information on potency and purity. These deaths are a direct result of the WAR ON DRUGS. The policies of this nation force the supply to come from an unregulated and underground market. Period. "Just Say No" is a ridiculous concept. If we adopted the concept "Just Say Know," these deaths could have been prevented. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment