Local

If you think your meth might have Zika, authorities will check it out for you

File photo

A Nebraska fire department is getting creative in an attempt to lure drug users.

In a “NEWS ALERT” posted to its Facebook page Tuesday, the Ashland Fire Department wrote that meth in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska may be “contaminated with the Zika virus.”

“Please contact your local Police Department or Sheriff’s Office so they can conduct a “Free” screening test on your Meth to make sure it is not contaminated,” the department wrote.

The department’s post now has more shares than the population of the city it covers, with 3,524 as of Thursday afternoon.

The Sherman County (Kansas) Sheriff’s Office shared the post, joking that heroin may also be contaminated and encouraging drug users to have their stash tested.

The post is yet another in a long line of inventive social media managers attempting to trick drug users into inadvertently admitting to their crimes. Last year, a Texas police department said meth in the area had been infected with Ebola.

The Lawrence Police Department’s Twitter manager, Drew Fennelly, recently joined in with an entreaty of his own.

Max Londberg: 816-234-4378, @MaxLondberg

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 4:24 PM with the headline "If you think your meth might have Zika, authorities will check it out for you."

Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER