TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa police are warning about a new drug mixture involving Fentanyl and a veterinary sedative.
It’s a national trend that’s now made its way to Green Country.
Nancy Solomon lost her son, Joe, to a drug overdose in 2021.
“In our case, we woke up on December 1st of 2021 to finding Joe in his bedroom in our home deceased. I was in shock, I was angry. I was mad. I couldn’t even imagine what on earth happened to him,” said Solomon.
She said the toxicology report showed the only drug in his system at the time of his death was Fentanyl.
Since then, she’s made it her mission to warn others about the dangers of the drug and said this new mixture is alarming.
“My son was murdered. He was poisoned. He didn’t want to die. We had plans for the next day,” said Solomon.
The Tulsa Police Forensic Laboratory recently discovered a drug called Medetomidine, which is a veterinary sedative that is currently being mixed with Fentanyl.
Officers said this is a national trend, and now they are starting to see this drug being used as a cutting agent here.
Dr. Fiona Liu is a senior forensic scientist with the Tulsa Police Department.
“We have detected this drug in four cases so far and totally in five evidence samples,” said Dr. Liu.
WATCH: Tulsa police warn of new drug mixed in with Fentanyl
She said it’s important to note that the drug, Medetomidine, is not an opioid, and will not respond to Narcan.
“You still need to apply Narcan to the overdosed people, because usually this drug is mixed with illicit drugs that contain Fentanyl because Narcan works on Fentanyl,” said Dr. Liu.
While Mother’s Day can be painful at times, Solomon said it’s so important to stay informed and talk to your children about the dangers of all types of drugs, especially now with the new way drugs are being mixed.
From the Tulsa Police Department, signs of Medetomidine Toxicity include:
- Sedation and impaired pain sensation
- Dry mouth and slowed breathing
- Hypnotic/anesthetic effects
- Dilated pupils and hypothermia
- Muscle twitching and slowed heart rate
- Initial high blood pressure, followed by dangerously low blood pressure
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