Westfield police warn against new deadly counterfeit drug
WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The Westfield Police Department is warning about a new dangerous illegal drug.
It’s a high-potency synthetic opioid that is identical to fentanyl.
According to the Westfield Police Department, the counterfeit drug known on the streets as Pyro is light blue with dark blue dots scattered throughout the pill.
“This is not a situation that the police can fight on our own. We’re not going to solve this on our own. We need the community’s help,” said WPD Lt. Billy Adams.
Police officers say it is made to look like an oxycodone pill with an “m” imprinted on one side and a “30” on the other.
They’re warning the community and parents to stay away from the drug and to contact the police if they see it.
“They may believe that they’re getting a legitimate prescription pill like Percocet or oxycodone and they don’t know what’s in it, so they’re taking a huge risk and I think at this point they have to assume that something else is in it even if they get it from what they think is a friend or a trusted source,” Adams said.
Rita Zaichek, a Westfield resident, said, “It’s a concern, especially if it hits the schools. You have school-aged kids. I do. I have grandkids, so yeah, it’s not good.”
The Westfield Police Department claims the drug is up to 1,500 times more powerful than morphine, while fentanyl is only about 100 times more powerful than morphine.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office says it has already found one death in connection to the drug. According to Deputy Coroner Sarah Lockhart, the 31-year-old man was a veteran living in Westfield.
“The pills in question were found on scene and toxicology did come back positive on this case,” she said.
Adams said, “Don’t take the approach of that it can’t happen in here. It can’t happen to my kid.”
According to the Westfield Police Department, in the past two weeks two juveniles were overdosed, but it’s waiting for toxicology reports.
“Thanks to direction from the Westfield Police Department and the Hamilton County Health Department, we are educating high school students, staff and families about the issue. In an attempt to join WPD’s efforts to educate the public, Westfield High School and the school district will include WPD’s warning in upcoming newsletters and the high school will include WPD’s message in school announcements.”
Westfield Washington Schools