Opioids more potent than fentanyl found in wastewater at MO schools, 4 in KC area
Results of a voluntary wastewater monitoring program showed a highly potent opioid was found in two dozen Missouri schools, four of them in the Kansas City region.
The monitoring program, led by the Missouri Department of Public Safety, tested wastewater at 37 participating schools across the state. At 26 of those schools, nitazenes — a class of synthetic opioids, some of which are over 5 to 10 times more potent than fentanyl — were detected, according to DPS.
The four schools in the Kansas City region are: Frontier School of Excellence and Frontier STEM High School in Jackson County, Orrick R-XI in Ray County and Cameron High School in Clinton County.
“Nitazenes are a hidden killer,” said DPS Director Mark James, in an emailed news release from the Department of Health and Senior Services.
In that release, several state agencies joined together to alert the public about the “growing presence” of nitazenes. The wastewater results are in line with what is being experienced by law enforcement and in emergency rooms and state overdose death investigations, the release said.
The voluntary school wastewater monitoring program helps communities identify emerging drug trends while protecting individual privacy, state officials said.
Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman with DHSS, said state agencies are taking the opportunity to warn and educate several populations — from youth and schools to health care providers, EMS and law enforcement — about the dangers of this class of opioids.
“Ultimately, this is about creating awareness of Missouri’s presence of an old drug (invented in the 50s) that has the potential to create severe consequences, especially if in the hands of our youth,” Cox said in an email. “And also educating adults about how to recognize and respond to signs of any misuse and how to prevent it and have meaningful conversations with youth.”
DHSS also issued a health advisory recently, detailing what nitazenes are and how they are increasingly being found in counterfeit pills, vapes and powders, often without users knowing, the agency said. That advisory can be found here.
