Photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash
By Amanda Coward
The Swinomish Police Department of La Conner, Wash. released a statement on April -8-2021 at 8:26 PM concerning an increase in drug sales in the community. The main concern was about the counterfeit Percocet 30 milligram pills laced with Fentanyl that are again being sold on the black market. A Percocet is a medication available only by a prescription from a medical provider. It is an opioid medication and is used to treat acute pain and/or moderate to severe pain. Fentanyl is also an opioid medication but prescribed by medical providers for extreme pain such as during cancer treatments and end of life care. Fentanyl is given in microgram doses to patients safely. A lethal dose of Fentanyl is just 2 milligrams.
When making counterfeit illegal medication the process would be whatever is easily available to the person making these pills. This person could be putting into the batch anything that looks like it could pass as the real medication. That could include heroin, opium, household cleaners, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.… the list goes on. The mixture for the most part is all thrown together and mixed. This is not done in sterile laboratories but in locations that are usually called trap houses such as abandon homes and buildings. When pressing this into a pill form it makes the substance appear to be a Percocet. When in reality they don’t actually know exactly how much of what ingredients are being formed into the counterfeit pill. They give these counterfeit pills all of the same markings of a 30 milligram Percocet so you believe this is safe and from a pharmacy. When in reality this 30 milligram concoction could easily hide a lethal dose of fentanyl (only 2 milligrams) and the rest could possibly be that white powder household cleaner that grandma keeps under her kitchen sink.
The Swinomish Police Department go on to say that “many have experienced personal loss of loved ones at the hands of these pills.” They beg the community members for help getting these pills off the streets. Saying and I quote “Our community also knows who and where these pills are coming from. Our community knows the dealers, the houses, the suspicious cars that come and go. I am asking for YOUR help. You could save a life, you WILL save a life.” Please contact the Swinomish Police Department at 911, call their tip line, Facebook page, or in person at their office in La Conner, Wash. “This community is strong and full of love. Sometimes it must be tough love.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction there are programs in our community to help you. Didgwalic Wellness Center is a medication assisted treatment center where they provide primary medical care, psychiatric medication management, daily dosing (Methadone, Suboxone, and Subutex), other medication assisted therapies such as Vivitrol, mental health care, substance use disorder counseling, and more. Their goals are to address barriers to treatment and then take those barriers away. This is why they offer free transportation to and from their clinic as well as onsite childcare while attending appointments. These are the reasons many clients say they would not be able to attend and so Didgwalic makes it possible for everyone to get the help they need and deserve. This clinic is available to all who are seeking help visit their website for more information or call their office to schedule a assessment.
When talking with a licensed practical nurse who previously worked at Didgwalic Charles Mason he had some great insight on the topic of counterfeit Percocet pills and how Didgwalic can help. Where are these pills being found? “Currently in La Conner and Lummi but once they have been found in those two areas you can bet that they have spread far enough to cover both Skagit and Whatcom Counties and farther.” Who in Skagit County has access to these pills? “Anyone in Skagit County does teens, adults anyone of any age really.” Is this a problem just for drug addicts? “No, loved ones are effected by overdose deaths too. Anyone could be an addict and you wouldn’t even know it doctors, lawyers, judges, homeless, moms, business owners, students….the list is endless.” What makes this counterfeit Percocet a dangerous drug? “People think that what they see is what they are getting. They are told Percocet 30mg and assume that this is safe and from a pharmacy. When it is actually something that was made on the streets with ingredients that they would not have in them.” If someone wanted help from an addiction what would be the process they would go through at the clinic? “1st they would call (360) 588-2800 or come into Didgwalic. 2nd they would have an appointment with a councilor who would decide the best course of action for each individual client (if they have substance use disorder, need to see the doctor, need to see mental health, need to see dental, need childcare during appointments, need transportation to and from the clinic). 3rd They would see the medical provider as part of our primary care clinic on sight. The medical provider and the patient would decide if the patient needs a medication and what medication would be best for them to start. 4th Most patients would be able to start their dose of medicine that day if they are showing signs and symptoms of withdrawal. This would be what you would do to start into the program.”
Please also note that Didgwalic is protected under HIPPA and 42 CFR laws and so they cannot confirm nor deny any patient or non-patient without their written consent. When seeking help this will not show up on any medical records outside of this clinic and cannot be traced back to you. They protect their patient’s anonymity so that everyone can have access to the help they need to get out of the grasp of addiction.
