COLUMBIA, S.C. — The University of South Carolina Police Department says it has discovered fentanyl-laced drugs and is worried some students may be in danger as a result.
The department issued a warning on Friday explaining that their department and other law enforcement agencies have seized heroin and other illegal drugs that have been laced with the substance, which is roughly 100 times more potent than morphine.
Citing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the police department suggests students are buying drugs like Adderall and Xanax on social media or through the dark web unaware that they may be laced with lethal amounts of not only fentanyl but also methamphetamine.
"USCPD is aware that some UofSC students have purchased prescription drugs illegally online, from friends, or from contacts made on social media," their statement reads.
The department goes on to say that, on top of additional criminal penalties students could face with these drugs, "these counterfeit pills may kill you." The agency's community warning on Friday also includes a fact sheet regarding various dangers surrounding counterfeit pills and how to identify them.
University Police remind students that under the campus Good Samaritan and Medical Overdose Treatment policies, students or groups who may be in violation of code of conduct policies or health directives can still seek medical assistance for those who are having an alcohol or drug overdose.
Instead of disciplinary sanctions, those people will instead receive "educational and supportive measures."
