Drug-soaked paper smuggled into US prisons causing fatal overdoses
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Reports of a dangerous trend of drug trafficking among US jails and prisons underscore the increasing health risk.
Fatal overdoses of synthetic cannabinoids are increasingly being detected among incarcerated people, according to a recent alert from the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education (CFSRE).
These man-made psychoactive substances are designed to mimic the effects of THC, the primary active ingredient in marijuana.
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Reports also revealed that synthetic cannabinoids are increasingly being smuggled into correctional facilities on common paper items such as letters, greeting cards, books, postcards and magazines.
CFSRE has previously warned that “drug-soaked paper strips” were causing overdoses among incarcerated people.
Reports of a dangerous trend of drug trafficking among US jails and prisons underscore the increasing health risk. (iStock)
In many cases, the papers were coated with a “potpourri” of synthetic cannabinoids mixed with other dangerous drugs, authorities said.
“While it’s impossible to know exactly why people were preparing these combinations, I suspect they were ordering these substances from China or India and mixing them with little knowledge of how the different substances interact or what constitutes a lethal dose,” Alex Krotulski, director of toxicology and chemistry at CFSRE, told a local media outlet. he said.
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In a December 2024 study, CFSRE found that the paper strips it examined contained primarily “synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, nitacene opioids, and other novel psychoactive substances.”
Papers containing the drug have been found to cause “serious health consequences,” including central nervous system depression (slowed brain activity) and bradycardia (slowed heart rate), the agency said.
In many cases, the papers were coated with a “potpourri” of synthetic cannabinoids mixed with other dangerous drugs, authorities said. (iStock)
Chicago’s Cook County Jail, which houses about 5,000 inmates, has reported increasing cases of smugglers dousing papers with synthetic drugs and sending them to the jail through the mail or through visitors.
In 2023, prison management confirmed a total of 18 prisoners died in custody. Five of those resulted from overdoses and three involved synthetic cannabinoids, according to Cook County Medical Examiner records.
D., director of Cook County Jail Health and medical director of Cermak Health Services. “I can’t emphasize how serious this is,” Priscilla Ware told a local media outlet in November 2023. “People die every day when they use this product.”
“I can’t emphasize how serious this is.”
To address the growing trend of dousing paper with cannabinoids, prison administrators reportedly implemented a ban on paper in April 2023.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told a local media outlet in 2024 that although overdose deaths were lower that year, drug-tainted paper smuggling remained a problem.
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“Unfortunately, it is common to see test results for drug-soaked paper come back with two or three dangerous drugs, and we know that the people producing this paper often add toxic chemicals like pesticides and rat poison to their ‘recipes,’” Dart told the outlet.
“That was alarming enough. But it’s horrifying to see these results come back with half a dozen or more dangerous synthetic drugs, any of which could be fatal on their own.”
Chicago’s Cook County Jail (not pictured), which houses about 5,000 inmates, reported increasing cases of smugglers dipping papers in synthetic drugs and sending them to the jail through the mail or through visitors. (iStock)
In July 2024, Cook County reportedly seized three pieces of paper suspected of containing drugs. Testing by the CFSRE found the papers contained up to 10 separate dangerous synthetic drugs, including protonitazene (a synthetic opioid three times more powerful than fentanyl) and xylazine (a powerful animal tranquilizer known as a “tranquilizer” or “zombie drug”).
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Papers containing drugs have been known to sell for $10,000 per page, Cook County said in an August 2024 news release.
The issue appears to extend beyond Chicago, as the New York Times reports that at least 16 states have filed lawsuits for smuggling drug-laden papers into jails and prisons.
“This represents a broader and very disturbing shift in how highly potent synthetic drugs are distributed, concealed and consumed across multiple settings,” said one addiction expert. (iStock)
Dr. D., chief medical officer of Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania. “Drug-soaked paper allows for the invisible delivery of extremely potent substances—synthetic cannabinoids, opioids, and other novel compounds—without odor or noticeable residue, making them difficult to detect in many environments,” Adam Scioli told Fox News Digital.
Scioli said “drug paper” should not be seen as a problem limited to prisons.
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“This represents a broader and very disturbing shift in how highly potent synthetic drugs are distributed, concealed and consumed across multiple settings,” he said. “The same distribution method could easily impact schools, mailrooms, shelters, treatment centers, and private homes—anywhere paper moves freely and inspection is limited.”
Scioli warned that unintentional use or sharing of paper not only increases the risk of overdose, but also the risk of accidental exposure to staff, family members or bystanders.
“The same distribution method could easily affect schools, mailrooms, shelters, treatment centers, and private homes.”
To reduce accidental exposure and protect both the public and frontline workers, Scioli calls for the use of early detection and screening tools.
“Expanding access to evidence-based addiction treatment, including medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder, directly reduces the demand for illicit and high-risk substances,” he added.
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“A coordinated response involving health services, public safety, postal systems and community education is essential; this cannot be solved by sanctions alone.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cook County Jail to request comment.
