Positive result for nitazenes in wastewater leads to awareness campaign

By Gwendylan Harmon Cassville Democrat Intern

On April 20, Cpl. Sam Carpenter, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, gave a presentation to Cassville High School students aiming to spread awareness regarding the nitazenes crisis in the community, sharing information about the serious issues regarding drug use that could affect students and the broader community.

“I’m sure you’ve heard rumors; some people aren’t sure if the rumors are true, so we are here to clear that up,” Carpenter said.

Cassville High School, along with 36 others in the state, agreed to have their wastewater tested for nitazenes through the voluntary wastewater monitoring program. 

“It got positive results, with various different substances,” Carpenter said. “The reason I am here is to let you know these things are present in your community.” 

One of the drugs found in the wastewater was stronger than fentanyl, Carpenter said.

Carpenter explained he wasn’t pointing fingers at the students because that was too easy. 

“You are not the only people who use the high school building,” he said. “Other schools from sporting events, parents, grandparents and grounds people all come into the school. My point is to let you know it is in your community.”

When the water is tested, it is tested for blanket drugs.

“I can give you this information, but at the end of the day it’s up to you to make the right decision,” Carpenter said. 

Carpenter said his job isn’t to monitor the students’ every move, but the decisions they make have direct consequences. 

“I don’t want you to do it in the first place, but if you do, stay where you are and don’t get behind the wheel,” he said. 

Carpenter said his goal is to save lives. He told students if he shows up on a scene of an overdose, the suspect won’t be immediately arrested or investigated because his main goal is to get them breathing again.

“If you do something and lay on your couch and watch all that you can watch and eat a bag of Cheetos, that’s your choice,” he said. “Great — you didn’t get behind the wheel. It’s the easiest thing you can avoid, drunk driving and speeding. 

“You can get across town on an Uber for $10, and the average charge for drunk driving is $10,000. If you have someone that doesn’t like drinking, drag [them] along with you.”

Carpenter talked about gateway drugs and how every person handles addiction differently. For some, “booze” to have fun and relax is all that’ll come of it, he said, but for others, those substances can lead to a life of addiction.

Carpenter told students that an amount of fentanyl that fits on the tip of a pencil was enough to kill everyone in that room. He said drug dealers will measure out fentanyl by pouring it into a mixture and thinking its evenly distributed, which is deadly. 

Carpenter said items like vapes and carts can be laced. He said what can happen is fentanyl will be diluted with water and sprayed on the weed plant, which isn’t safe, and sometimes the dealer will spray the same plant twice, which is even more dangerous.

Carpenter said the students’ best bet in a situation of an overdose is Narcan, or Naloxone Narcan is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdoses. It works by binding to the same receptors in the brain as opioids, effectively blocking their effects and restoring normal breathing. 

It can be administered as a nasal spray or an injection, and it is widely used by emergency responders, healthcare providers and increasingly by members of the public. Carpenter asked how many people in the room carried Narcan on themselves regularly. Nobody raised their hand. 

He said Narcan will not kill a person, and even if someone completely sober used it, it wouldn’t have any effects besides feeling like something went up their nose, similar to milk. 

He said a person could lose their life even if someone else had Narcan, if they assumed it could cause more damage. Carpenter gave examples of what to look out for in an overdose, such as sluggishness, droopy eyes and being passed out. 

Carpenter also talked about how people are using horse tranquilizers as recreational drug, which Narcan cannot reverse

“Horse tranquilizers are made to knock out a horse, not a human,” he said.

Carpenter said fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that was originally developed for medical use, particularly for managing severe pain in patients such as those recovering from surgery or experiencing advanced cancer. It is significantly stronger than many other opioids, including morphine and heroin, which means that even very small amounts can have powerful effects on the body. 

Because of its potency, fentanyl is carefully regulated in medical settings. However, illegally manufactured fentanyl has become a major concern in recent years, as it is often mixed with other drugs without the user’s knowledge, Carpenter said.

Carpenter said one of the primary dangers of fentanyl is its impact on the respiratory system. Opioids like fentanyl bind to receptors in the brain that control pain and breathing. When taken in high doses, fentanyl can slow or completely stop a person’s breathing, leading to unconsciousness and potentially death. 

This process can happen quickly, especially if a person has no tolerance to opioids or unknowingly consumes a substance containing fentanyl. Because it is so potent, the margin between a dose that produces a high and a dose that causes an overdose is very small.

Another factor that makes fentanyl particularly dangerous, Carpenter said, is its presence in counterfeit pills and other illegal substances. These pills are often made to look like prescription medications such as oxycodone or alprazolam, but they may contain unknown and inconsistent amounts of fentanyl. This unpredictability increases the risk of overdose, as individuals may believe they are taking a familiar medication when in reality they are consuming something much more potent. 

Public health officials have noted that this issue has contributed to a rise in overdose cases across many communities in the United States.

Access to Narcan has expanded in many states, including Missouri, where it can often be obtained without a prescription at pharmacies or through community programs. Schools, public buildings and first responders may carry Narcan as part of their emergency preparedness efforts. 

Quick administration of Narcan can be the difference between life and death, Carpenter said, but it is still important to call emergency services immediately, as the effects of Narcan may wear off before the opioids have fully left the body.