Drug Abusers Mixing Hydrocodone & Ice Cream

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by FOX Charlotte

Story Created: Nov 16, 2011 at 11:47 PM EDT

Story Updated: Nov 16, 2011 at 11:47 PM EDT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Two men reportedly overdosed on ice cream laced with hydrocodone this month in Charlotte.  We're told they mixed half a bottle of the pain killer, which is as addictive as heroin, into ice cream.  "The innovation that goes along with ingesting these substances is almost boundless," says Charles Odell, an addiction specialist and CEO of Dilworth Center for Chemical Dependency.  

Laced ice cream is a new concept to him, but he compares it to Jell-O shots.  Drug users could be doing it to mask the taste.  But ice cream, full of sugar and fat, doesn't enhance the high.  If anything, Odell says it weakens it.  "If there's a high fat content in your stomach, theoretically that could actually slow down absorption," he says.

Hydrocodone, used safely to relieve moderate to severe pain, is particularly popular with young people in Charlotte.  Odell says it is the most commonly prescribed opioid in North Carolina.  That availability has driven up other stats.  Odell says, "Overdosages on opioids are up."

Odell says there are some telltale signs of a hydrocodone high:  look for constricted pupils, heavy or "sleepy" eyes, sluggish behavior and excessive itching or scratching.

If you take enough hydrocodone, you'll stop breathing. That's what reportedly happened to the two guys who ODd on the laced ice cream.  Rescuers were able to revive them using Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of overdoses in emergency situations.
 

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