A scary new synthetic drug known as “purple fentanyl” is raising concern in Nebraska — and it is resistant to Narcan.
Cops in Omaha are warning the public about the potentially deadly substance, which is a mixture of fentanyl and lidocaine.
The addition of the anaesthetic can “intensify the drug’s side effects” — and because it isn’t an opioid, it also means an overdose on purple fentanyl can’t be reversed with Narcan, the Omaha Police Department warned.
Lidocaine has been used in other illicit drug combinations, but it’s the first time cops in Omaha have discovered it being mixed with fentanyl.
“While lidocaine has previously been used as a cutting agent in illicit drugs, this is the first time Omaha detectives have encountered fentanyl combined with lidocaine in the metro area,” the Omaha Police Department said in a statement.
The police department and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized the newly emerging narcotic during a recent joint operation.
It is not clear exactly when or where that operation occurred.
Cops are now warning the public “to remain vigilant” amid the new threat.
“The Omaha Police Department Narcotics Unit is cautioning the public about a dangerous new fentanyl trend in the Omaha metropolitan area,” the department said.
South Dakota’s Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Nilstead, who chairs the National Sheriff Association Drug Enforcement Committee, told The Post that new illicit drugs are introduced to the US supply “at least weekly.”
“It doesn’t surprise me because we see something new at least weekly,” said Nilstead.
He also said the purple color is part of a “marketing” strategy by the suppliers, often the cartels in Mexico, to attract more users.
“It’s likely not purple because the chemicals in it make it purple. It’s purple because it’s a marketing campaign,” said Nilstead.
“They want to sell their product, this is what it’s all about, it’s a multi-multi-billion dollar industry.”
Cops in Omaha are asking the community to take action when they suspect someone is overdosing by calling 911 “immediately.”
Nebraska also has a Good Samaritan Law, which shields anyone who reports an overdose from prosecution.
“Under Nebraska’s Good Samaritan Law, individuals who seek help for someone suffering a drug overdose are protected from certain drug-related charges, encouraging people to call for assistance without fear of prosecution,” the Omaha Police Department said.
“The Omaha Police Department remains committed to protecting the community and working to prevent further harm from this dangerous substance.”
The DEA issued a warning in December 2024 about cartels “mixing fentanyl powder into all illicit drugs to increase addiction and drive profit” that come in “different colors.”
In July 2024, Customs officers at the California border caught smugglers attempting to traffic purple-colored fentanyl in a spare tire of a truck and in the dashboard of another vehicle during two separate seizures.
More than 48,000 Americans died of fentanyl overdoses in 2024, according to an estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
