A couple of friends in Texas tragically lost their lives three months apart after consuming pills laced with a dangerous new synthetic opioid. Now, one mother is pleading with US officials to raise awareness about a drug that’s reported to be 43 times more lethal than fentanyl.
This potent substance has been infiltrating the United States at an alarming rate this year, as it contaminates various pills, rendering them dangerously potent and often resistant to Narcan, the overdose antidote.
Lucci Reyes-McCallister, aged 22, died on January 26 near Houston, Texas, after taking what was labeled Xanax, but it was actually mixed with N-pyrrolisinoprotonitazen, a variant of Nitazen.
Some types of these new synthetic drugs are 25 times more potent than fentanyl, while certain nitazenes can be between 5 and 43 times stronger, depending on their formulation, according to the Inter-American Drug Abuse Management Committee.
What’s alarming is the increased resistance of Nitazen to Narcan, seen in Lucci’s case where it took seven doses to attempt to revive him, but sadly, he did not survive.
“It was a term I had never heard before,” Lucci’s devastated mother, Gray McAlister, shared.
Almost six months later, Gray received a call from another grieving mother, who revealed her son had also fallen victim to Nitazen. It turned out to be Lucci’s friend, Hunter Clement, who was just 21 and died on April 10 after ingesting pills disguised to look like Percocet but laced with Nitazen.
After Hunter’s passing, his mother recalled seeing a news article that mentioned the perils of Nitazen, prompting her to think, “This might be what took Hunter from us.”
Nitazen is believed to originate from secret laboratories in China, possibly leveraging connections with suppliers linked to Mexican cartels. Initially developed as a morphine alternative over 60 years ago, it was never approved for medical use due to significant overdose risks.
Authorities are now acknowledging rising fatalities linked to synthetic drugs in the U.S. Customs officials report increasing incidences of this dangerous substance being smuggled through airports, with quantities coming in weekly.
This situation has been characterized as part of a broader pattern of China’s aggression toward the U.S., with a former head of the DEA noting that as America begins to grapple with fentanyl, new substances are emerging from labs in China.
As per the Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, there have already been confirmed cases of Nitazen-related overdoses in Houston and nearby areas.
Hunter’s mother, Luti Clement, recounted the harrowing moment she discovered her son unresponsive, tears welling as she described how she performed CPR and administered Narcan, but it was too late to save him.
Feeling anger over her inability to save her son, Ruti now wants to prevent others from suffering the same fate. Traditional drug tests don’t typically identify Nitazen, a fact that both mothers have pointed out as a growing concern.
With warnings echoed by Gray, she emphasizes the hidden dangers of these substances, urging young people to understand that what they think is safe could actually be lethal.
“This issue has ignited a fire in me. Lucci’s death must not be in vain,” she expressed passionately.
Moreover, there’s a call for educational initiatives and campaigns on social media aimed at reaching younger audiences, highlighting the necessity of awareness and understanding of these monumental risks.
