PEORIA, Ill. – A local agency that tries to provide help to drug users in the area says another potentially dangerous drug is hitting the streets here.
JOLT Harm Reduction says it’s referred to as “Benzo Dope” — and its a combination of a benzodiazepine, which is a sedative that can slow brain activity, and an opiate like heroin or fentanyl.
The combination, JOLT says, increases the risk of overdose, and other side effects like dizziness or drowsiness, and act like depressants.
Narcan likely can be used, but JOLT says it will help recover from the opiates, and won’t on benzodiazepines.
It has a gray and purple color and is grainy in texture.
Here are tips from JOLT Harm Reduction to reduce the risk of overdose on “Benzo Dope”:
1. The obvious answer is to not use it at all.
2. Test your substance prior to using. New laws in Illinois allow for the testing of illicit substances if one is enrolled in a state-recognized harm reduction program, like JOLT. JOLT uses chemical reagents to identify adulterants in drug samples.
3. Have plenty of naloxone on hand.
4. Don’t use alone or behind a locked door.
5. Start low and go slow. Do a tester shot first before slamming the whole dose.
6. Report overdose reversals to JOLT. We do not collect personally identifying information but do look for trends in the street drugs that may increase the risk of overdose so we can tailor our interventions.
For further questions, call JOLT at (309) 966-3643.
