UNC lab analyzing, identifying what's in street drugs

Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Caudill Labs are receiving thousands of street drug samples, running them through a machine to get a real-time look at what's in them.
Posted 5/31/2024, 9:43:32 PM Updated 6/1/2024, 12:59:19 AM

COURT BUT DECIDED TO SHIFT

THEIR FOCUS TO OTHER ISSUES.

THERE IS SOME POSITIVE NEWS ON

THE OVERDOSE CRISIS FRONT.

EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS

ACROSS THE STATE HAVE DROPPED

31% SO FAR THIS YEAR COMPARED

TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

WRAL'S INVESTIGATIVE DATA

JOURNALIST ALI INGERSOLL BRINGS

US AN INSIDE LOOK AT A LOCAL

LAB WORKING TO LEARN WHAT

CHEMICALS ARE ACTUALLY BEING

SOLD ON OUR STREETS.

>> THIS LAB HERE AT UNC IS THE

FIRST OF ITS KIND. THIS MACHINE

HERE TAKE STREET DRUGS, SAMPLES

FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY,

ANALYZING THEM TO FIGURE OUT

WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THEM AND

HOPES TO HELP COMMUNITIES SAVE

LIVES.

>> THIS IS FOR US TO BE

COCAINE.

THAT'S ALL IT SILENCING THE

AMOUNT OF SUBSTANCE WE NEED IS

REALLY, REALLY SMALL. THAT'S

LESS THAN A GRAIN OF RICE.

SCIENTISTS LIKE DOCTOR NEVER

SCOOP DEBT, THEN RUN THE

SAMPLES THROUGH THIS MACHINE

AND 20 MINUTES LATER.

>> A CHART LIKE THIS IS

GENERATED SHOWING THE CHEMICAL

MAKEUP OF THE SAMPLE. THE LAB

WORKS WITH NEARLY 200 PUBLIC

HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING

34 FROM NORTH CAROLINA, THE

DRUG SUPPLY IS SOMETHING THAT

SEEMS VERY COMPLEX AT FIRST.

BUT

>> ONCE HE ACTUALLY USE SCIENCE

TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE

CLEAR PATTERNS, BOTH

GEOGRAPHICALLY ACROSS THE

STATE.

>> BUT ALSO WITHIN SUBSTANCES.

>> SINCE 2021, THE TEAM TESTED

MORE THAN 5600 SAMPLES

IDENTIFYING NEARLY 300

DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES, ROBESON

COUNTY HARM REDUCTION IS

KRISTEN COLLINS. CATTLE HAS

SENT ABOUT A DOZEN SAMPLES TO

THE LAB AND SAYS SHE'S SEEN

PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR USING

PRACTICES AFTER GETTING BACK

RESULTS. THERE'S A

MISCONCEPTION THAT PEOPLE WHO

USE DRUGS DON'T CARE ABOUT

THEIR NOW, BUT IF YOU GIVE THEM

THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MORE

EDUCATED, SAFER DECISION TO GO

THROUGH EVERY SINGLE TIME.

>> THAT'S COOP TO FEELS THAT

INCORPORATING SCIENCE INTO THE

PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH.

>> IS A KEY PIECE TO TACKLING

THE CRISIS.

>> NORMALLY WE DON'T FIND OUT

WHAT'S IN STREET DRUGS UNTIL

IT'S TOO LATE WHEN PEOPLE ARE

EITHER DEAD OR THEIR ARREST.

IT, THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY FOR

PREVENTION. THERE'S NO

OPPORTUNITY FOR RECOVERY.

>> AND THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO

GROW. AS THERE'S MORE INTEREST

FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO

UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DRUG

SUPPLIES LIKE IN THEIR AREAS.

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