Photo: Sean Garnsworthy / Getty Images
A new drug between 20 and 100 times stronger than fentanyl is now making its way into common street drugs in the United States.
The isotonitazene, known as ISO, is creating trouble during spring break in Florida and even causing secondhand overdoses.
The Florida Attorney General, Ashley Moody, issued a warning about the ISO earlier this month, as law enforcement agencies warned that the drug could be driving the recent surge in overdose deaths.
“For years, we have been warning about the dangers of fentanyl and how a single pill laced with this synthetic opioid can kill. Now, a new, deadlier drug is found in Florida.
“Isotonitazene is so strong that it can cause death simply by coming into contact with someone’s skin or by accidentally inhaling it. The ISO has already been linked to overdose deaths in Florida, so please never take any illicit drug and know that using it just once could cost you your life,” Moody said.
ISO is linked to overdose deaths nationwide, including in the Midwest.
Mark Geary buried his son unexpectedly in May of 2021, after his son unknowingly ingested hydrocodone laced with ISO.
“He was a son, a father, a grandfather, an uncle. He was so happy and loved his children. He loved his family. It will be a year in May. Without family, I would probably be even more devastated,” Geary said.
Jeff Geary’s cause of death was initially reported as an overdose of fentanyl, but subsequent tests found that ISO contributed to his death.
“I never heard of ISO, and he explained to me that it is a more powerful drug than fentanyl. I think this is going to be the new fentanyl, like fentanyl was for heroin… where they thought heroin killed people, and it ended up being fentanyl. Now I think a lot of fentanyl deaths, if you test it a second time, it will be ISO,” Geary said.
ISO is now increasing overdose deaths nationwide, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are seeing the number of overdoses increase. My prediction is that when the medical examiners report comes back, we will see that ISO is causing that percentage to increase in overdose deaths,” said Sheriff Chris Nocco.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office found that the drug does not always respond to Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of fentanyl and other opioids.
Like fentanyl, the drug is also causing more overdoses accidental in families, and even in law enforcement, second hand.
“We had a case the other day where a mother and her 14 year old daughter overdosed. We’re scared for our law enforcement officers, our firefighters, our canines, you know, once they’re trying to save someone’s life, even alone, trying to resuscitate someone, you can overdose as well,” Nocco said.
“You took a poison and magnified it from 20 sometimes. So, you know, you’re basically going to destroy people the first time they take it.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ISO is manufactured in China, shipped to Mexico and then smuggled in the United States.
Geary shares his son’s story in hopes of saving another family from heartbreak. “I’m posting my son’s story about his death to possibly help a single person save someone’s life or save a family from going through what our family is going through,” she said.
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