The police in Karlstad have issued a warning that a life-threatening drug is being sold in fake packaging.
If you overdose on the drug, it can lead to death in the worst case scenario.
– Because this is such incredibly serious information and such a dangerous drug, we choose to go out with it, says Ulrika Sundström who is local police area manager.
It was through tips that the police became aware of the phenomenon. The drug Metonitazen is sold in fake Oxycontin cans on the illegal drug market in Karlstad. Oxycontin is a prescription and narcotic medication with a strong pain-relieving effect, while Metoniatazen is a significantly stronger preparation.
– There are anonymous tips that have come to us, which we think are so serious that we want to share the information, says Ulrika Sundström to TV4 Nyheterna.
The buyer lives in the belief that it is Oxycontin they bought and can accidentally ingest Metonitazen. The risk of overdosing is great and can lead to respiratory problems with death as the worst outcome.
Want to prevent someone from getting hurt
The police have no information that there would be people who have needed to seek treatment for having taken the fake drug, but still want to reach out with the information to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
– We want to draw attention and inform about this as a preventive measure so that no one has to suffer, says Ulrika Sundström.
She also says that the police know that this has happened earlier this year in other places in the country, which means that there is a reason to take it seriously.
The prompt: Talk to your children
Ulrika Sundström wants to be clear that this applies to drugs that are sold on the illegal drug market. The obvious call from the police is, of course, to avoid drugs at all, but Ulrika believes that you should be aware that drugs can appear in fake packaging.
– It may be that what you think is a certain preparation is actually something else, and with that the risk increases even more that you will get hurt.
The police also believe that adults need to talk to children and young people about this, to prevent anyone from getting hurt.
– Inform your children about this. And about drugs in general, of course.