NBC News –
The warning comes after “a recent series of drug overdoses involving potent counterfeit benzodiazepines in the upstate region.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WBCD) – The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) on Thursday issued a warning against medications purchased online or through sources that do not require prescriptions.
The warning comes after “a recent series of drug overdoses involving potent counterfeit benzodiazepines in the upstate region.”
Emma Kennedy, director of DHEC’s Division of Injury and Substance Abuse Prevention, explained that “purchasing drugs online can be very dangerous because they may be counterfeit, which means they were created in an uncontrolled environment and may also contain other harmful ingredients.”
Kennedy said that counterfeit pills can often be laced with fentanyl, which makes them even more deadly.
Recently, “law enforcement in Greer, S.C. recently seized a pill press that was likely used to produce large quantities of pills marketed as Xanax and contained the potent substance Clonazolam.”
Authorities said that pills made in the press were sold online to buyers across the nation.
Tags: Clonazolam Counterfeit Fentanyl Opioid Crisis Overdoses Patient Harm Pharmacy Crime Safety Alert
