Fentanyl Found In Drugs In Washington Heights, Nonprofit Warns

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — The deadly substance fentanyl was found in non-opioid drugs sold in Washington Heights this week, a nonprofit has warned.

The Washington Heights Corner Project — an organization that aims to prevent risks associated with drug use and sex work — sent out a "bad batch alert" Thursday afternoon warning that drugs they tested in the neighborhood this week were positive for fentanyl.

The drugs included non-opioid substances like cocaine and ecstasy, also known as molly, the organization said.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 30 to 50 times more portent than heroin, according to the city's Health Department.

The Washington Heights drugs are far from the only batch sold in New York City to have the dangerous substance.

Fentanyl in the New York City drug supply has dramatically increased the number of overdose deaths, including 800 New Yorkers who died from overdoses involving fentanyl in 2017, the health department said.

The synthetic opioid cannot be seen, tasted or smelled when mixed into other drugs, according to the health department.

The Corner Project warning, meant for those who use drugs, warned that people who don't regularly use opioids are at an extremely high risk for an overdose if they use a drug cut with fentanyl.

The Corner Project did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the drugs tested this week.

The bad batch is at least the third time the nonprofit has warned of dangerous drugs in the neighborhood in the last few months.

In December, the organization sent out two alerts, one of which was connected to 11 overdoses in one day from white bags being given out as "free samples," according to the Corner Project Twitter.

Another alert later that month warned of heroin that was being sold in red-stamped bags that were reportedly cut with pesticide.

Both the Corner Project and the city's Health Department offer services and tips for preventing overdoses due to fentanyl. If you would like to talk to someone about substance use services or treatment, contact NYC Well.

Update: A previous version of this story stated that fentanyl cannot be laced in marijuana based on information from the Corner Project. It has since been updated to not exclude marijuana, as fentanyl has been found in the drug in other areas of the country.