Central MN Law Enforcement Warns Community About Deadly Drugs

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A warning from the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force...fatal drug overdoses continue to rise in the St. Cloud area.

Investigators say people are using illicit drugs and are unknowingly ingesting or smoking drugs laced with dangerous substances added to them including fentanyl and xylazine.

Authorities say over the past several months, they've seen an increasing number of overdoses, many of which have resulted in fatalities.

The deadly additives are being found in heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and counterfeit prescription pills.

The VOTF says fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and can cause rapid respiratory failure while xylazine is a veterinary sedative that is not approved for human use. Xylazine also does not respond to Narcan, making overdoses more difficult to reverse.

Authorities are actively investigating the sources of these additives and are working to hold those responsible accountable.