Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Americans who use cocaine have a one-in-three chance of snorting the drug laced with Levamisole, a potent medication used to de-worm cattle. Officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration say Colombian drug smugglers have been adding Levamisole to cocaine shipped to the U.S. since last year in order to enhance the drug’s effects. Although it has been prescribed by doctors to help those diagnosed with colon cancer, Levamisole can weaken the immune system and leave patients vulnerable to fatal infections. Cocaine laced with the medication has killed at least three people in the U.S. and Canada and sickened more than 100 others, according to the DEA.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Report: One-Third of US Cocaine Cut with Cattle De-worming Agent (by Jon Gambrell, Associated Press)
Identification of Levamisole Impurities Found in Illicit Cocaine Exhibits (Drug Enforcement Administration)
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