(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) The city of Chicago issued a public service announcement from the Department of Public Health on its social media pages requesting that festival goers test their drugs for fentanyl before ingesting.
The announcement warned Lollapalooza-goers that fentanyl can be mixed with other recreational drugs, and warned that they should not take drugs alone and should carry the anti-overdose drug Narcan with them, the Daily Wire reported.
“ATTN Chicago & LOLLA FANS: Fentanyl is a strong opioid that can easily cause overdose,” the city’s Department of Public Health tweeted. “Test your drugs before you use, carry Narcan, and don’t use alone. Call 911 if you suspect someone is overdosing.”
The post also encouraged patrons of the festival to get fentanyl test strips and the anti-overdose drug from the city.
ATTN Chicago & LOLLA FANS: Fentanyl is a strong opioid that can easily cause overdose. Test your drugs before you use, carry Narcan, and don’t use alone. Call 911 if you suspect someone is overdosing.
Get fentanyl test strips and Narcan by emailing [email protected].
🧵 pic.twitter.com/KztlxRW2pN— CDPH | Chicago Department of Public Health (@ChiPublicHealth) July 27, 2022
The graphics attached to the post explain that fentanyl is often “found in cocaine, MDMA and other drugs.”
There are also signs featuring the announcement in Grant Park—where the event is being held—placed there by the order of City Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
“We regularly see—and have for years—that young people who attend festivals often are feeling very free and often experiment… with illicit substances,” Arwady said at a news conference.
“The problem is that so many of those illicit substances now are laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a very strong opioid.”
The city of Chicago has been distributing free fentanyl test strips since October 2021. They are freely available at all Chicago Public Libraries.
