New opioid 10 times stronger than fentanyl hitting the streets of California

Nic Garcia Image
Friday, February 10, 2023
New opioid 10 times stronger than fentanyl hitting CA streets
There is a new drug hitting the streets of California.

There is a new drug hitting the streets of California.

It's called Isotonitazene, commonly called ISO.

"ISO is a synthetic opioid that is ten times stronger than fentanyl," said Flindt Andersen, founder and executive director of P.A.I.N. (Parents of Addicts In Need).

ISO has already been found on the streets of San Francisco.

Law enforcement agencies say it's only a matter of time before it shows up in Central California, as the fight against fentanyl rages on.

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"Every officer, vehicle is issued Narcan gear. In every patrol car in their first aid kits. We've been doing that for about three to four years now," said Madera Police Chief Dino Lawson.

Lawson said that Narcan came in handy for first responders earlier this month when they had three fentanyl overdoses over two days.

In addition to Narcan -- which is free and available to anyone, no prescription needed -- Andersen says parents should consider a potentially more extreme approach: drug testing your kids.

"You would rather do that and upset them than pick out their coffin," said Andersen.

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