MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — It’s deadlier than fentanyl, and one Eastern Panhandle sheriff says it’s making its way to West Virginia.
Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon says “Iso (Isotonitazene) is 20 to 100 times more potent than fentanyl.”“Fentanyl the size of your pinky (finger), can cause an adult to overdose. This stuff is stronger.”
Harmon says Iso is so deadly that casually touching it could lead to overdose or death. He says there are reports of Iso being circulated in some southern states. It’s only a matter of time, he says, until it makes its way to the Panhandle.
“These drugs are constantly evolving to be more potent and more addictive,” Sheriff Harmon says. “and then they conceal them in prescribed medication.”
He says what looks like a prescription drug may contain something deadly. “Dealers are getting creative with how they lace certain things,” he says. “There are reports in Florida of overdoses of hydrocodone laced with Iso. You have folks that are actively operating pill presses and making pills that look like prescribed medication lacing those with fentanyl and other drugs.”
While Iso hasn’t been seen in the Eastern Panhandle, the sheriff says it’s his job to remain vigilant and warn residents ahead of time. “When we see these new designer, synthetic drugs come out that are more potent than the one before, I think it’s necessary to warn the public about them.”
Harmon was a guest on Tuesday’s Panhandle Live heard weekday mornings beginning at 9 on WEPM 1340 AM and 93.7 FM and at www.panhandlenewsnetwork.com
You can hear the full interview with Sheriff Harmon on both Panhandle Live Facebook and Spotify.
