Authorities in Louisiana are cautioning the public to steer clear of ‘gray death’, a lethal drug that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
The drug, which emerged in the United States in 2017, is a perilous blend of some of the most lethal opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and various fentanyl analogues, according to investigators.
Police describe it as resembling concrete and having a consistency ranging from a hard, chunky material to a fine powder.
They have also attributed numerous fatal overdoses across the nation to this lethal drug, including heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil (sometimes used to tranquilize large animals like elephants), and a synthetic opioid called U-47700.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies stumbled upon this substance during an arrest just last week.
Law enforcement also shared images of the drug confiscated from suspects traveling across St. Mary Parish from the Lake Charles area.
‘A tiny amount of this drug can be fatal,’ stated the sheriff’s office in a release.
Police advised, ‘Never handle or touch this drug if you come across it. Instead, report it to law enforcement.’
‘Gray death is one of the most terrifying combinations I have ever seen in nearly 20 years of forensic chemistry drug analysis,’ said Deneen Kilcrease, manager of the chemistry section at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
‘The contents and concentrations of the drug are unknown to users, making it exceptionally lethal,’ she further remarked. ‘Moreover, because these potent drugs can be absorbed through the skin, mere contact with the powder exposes users to risk.’