Researcher warns of drug that can sidestep regulation, result in death

UNC Charlotte researcher John Stogner is sounding the alarm about a drug that is five to 15 times stronger than heroin—and escapes detection on drug screens unless doctors specifically look for it.

Stogner, a criminologist and drug researcher, recently published a paper in the Annals of Emergency Medicine on acetyl fentanyl, a potentially deadly opioid.

“This is a particularly scary drug because of the threat of immediate overdose and death,” said Stogner, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. “What is worse is that we may not pick up on it.”

Stogner suggested that some narcotics dealers are mixing the opioid with heroin. The resulting overdoses may not respond to standard doses of the opiate-reversal drug naloxone. Stogner’s article noted that emergency physicians should brace for “an upswing in what appear on the surface to be heroin overdoses” but are actually cases that involve acetyl fentanyl.

Compounding the issue is acetyl fentanyl’s legal status; it is not specifically scheduled under the Controlled Substance Act. It does not qualify as an analogue and therefore cannot be packaged for human consumption, but as long as it is labeled “not for human consumption,” it can sidestep regulations. Other substances that have fallen into this grey legal area were MDPV, mephedrone, and synthetic marijuana products as bath salts, potpourri and plant food until specifically as a controlled substance.

“My goal is to better understand this emerging drug phenomenon,” Stogner said. “I am looking at these drugs that we haven’t seen (before) and (seeking to) understand which one is the next to cause problems in society.”

Drug networks may profit from the murky legal status of this opiate by using it in place of mainstream drugs and selling it through shrewd distribution networks. Dealers could easily purchase this drug and mix it with heroin to deceive users, Stogner’s research indicates. Users can obtain it without fear of prosecution unless it’s mixed with heroin.

The rise in use of acetyl fentanyl follows the path of other novel psychoactive substances, such as salvia and synthetic stimulants referred to as “bath salts.” Stogner’s past research has demonstrated how easily and quickly these drugs can make their way into the community. Outbreaks of acetyl fentanyl use have occurred in North Carolina, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.

“One common feature of novel psychoactive substance abuse is the speed at which the drugs emerge as problematic substances,” Stogner states in his paper.

Users become aware of the substances before information appears in criminological or medical journals. This puts law enforcement and medical personnel in a reactive mode, leaving them unprepared as legal and medical responses catch up.

Stogner’s research holds significant practical implications, helping law enforcement, health care professionals, social workers and others to be better prepared.

“The number of potentially problematic compounds is countless, but through the use of experiences and education in the field of criminology, it is possible to forecast which drugs are likely to become an issue,” he said.