‘Widespread cocaine usage’ found after testing wastewater in NM schools

[Lauren Taylor]

WIDESPREAD COCAINE USAGE – THAT IS WHAT HEALTH OFFICIALS IN NEW MEXICO SAY THEY FOUND IN TESTING WASTEWATER FOR OPIOIDS AND STIMULANTS AT DOZENS OF SCHOOLS IN AND AROUND ALBUQUERQUE.

THE DISCOVERY CAME DURING STATEWIDE WASTEWATER TESTING AT HIGH SCHOOLS ORDERED BYGOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM AFTER SHE DECLARED A DRUG ABUSE A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

AS RESULTS BEGIN TO POUR IN STATE OFFICIALS – AND PARENTS*** – ARE GETTING A CLOSER LOOK INTO WHAT MAY BE BEING PASSED AROUND CLASSROOMS – AND ITS NOT JUST NOTES.

OFFICIALS HAD EXPECTED TO FIND FENTANYL AND OTHER OPIOIDS, BUT WERE SURPRISED WHEN THEY TESTED NEARLY FORTY HIGH SCHOOLS IN AND AROUND ALBUQUERQUE AND FOUND COCAINE USE AT MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THEM

JAMES KENNEY – NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT SECRETARY: “THERE IS WIDESPREAD COCAINE USAGE IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND I THINK THAT WAS A BIG SURPRISE FOR ALL OF US. IN ADDITION TO THAT WE SAW THAT THERE WAS FENTANYL IN SOME OF THE SCHOOLS AS WELL.”

[Lauren Taylor]

ACCORDING TO NEWLY RELEASED DATA FROM THE STATE – 

OF SAMPLES COLLECTED FROM 38 SCHOOLS – 31 OF THEM TESTED POSITIVE FOR COCAINE AND ITS METABOLITE. 

AND FENTANYL AND ITS METABOLITE WAS FOUND IN NEARLY A QUARTER OF THE 38 SCHOOLS. THE STATE ALSO TESTED FOR HEROIN BUT FOUND NO TRACE IN ANY OF THE SAMPLES.

OFFICIALS THOUGH – WARN TO COMPARE RESULTS WITH CAUTION AS THE DATA HAS LIMITATIONS.

FOR INSTANCE – THE DATA CANNOT TELL WHO IS USING THE DRUGS AS THE SAMPLES INCLUDES EVERYONE WHO USED THE BATHROOM ON THE DAY IT WAS TAKEN – TEACHERS, STAFF, STUDENTS, AND VISITORS.\

OFFICIALS ADDED THAT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ALL THE DRUGS DETECTED ARE LEGAL OR ILLEGAL.

STILL GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM SAYS – THE FIRST-ITS-KIND INITIATIVE GIVES DATA THAT CAN ACT AS A JUMPING POINT FOR SCHOOLS AND POLICY MAKERS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS TO COMBAT SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

QUOTE:

“KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, AND HAVING MORE DATA ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF ILLICIT SUBSTANCES IN SCHOOLS INFORMS OUR COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AT THE SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, AND GOVERNMENT LEVELS.”

[Lauren Taylor]

AS OF LAST WEEK THE STATE ANNOUNCED NEARLY 90 SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN TESTED STATEWIDE AND TESTING WILL CONTINUE WITH DATA BEING RELEASED WEEKLY.