Cops Issue Warning After Drug Addicts Overdosed On Wasp Spray

Authorities in West Virginia issued a warning after three people overdosed on synthetic methamphetamine made using wasp spray. Officials say the wasp spray is a "cheap fix" for people looking to get high.

"It's a cheap fix, and you don't know what their overall result of their usage of this is going to be," Sgt. Charles Sutphin told WCHS.

Using wasp spray to get high can cause erratic behavior, extreme swelling, and redness of the hands and feet. In rare cases, it can cause fatal allergic reactions in some people.

"From what we're being told, if you use it, you know, you might use it once or twice and be fine, but the third time when your body hits that allergic reaction, it can kill you," Sutphin explained.

Dr. Rutherfoord Rose, the director of the Virginia Poison Control, told ABC News that people have been trying to find alternative ways to get high as law enforcement cracks down on illegal drugs in the state.

"It's not surprising that as the opioid market becomes more restricted, people are turning to other things," he said. "It's a sign or a symptom of a larger problem we have…we work on the supply, but there's also the demand, and that's a lot harder. If you restrict the supply of some things, they'll turn to something else."

Photo: Getty Images


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