The coronavirus pandemic has added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing opioid crisis, including the rising rates of iso consumption. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, drug overdoses and fatalities have increased across the country.
This increase may be partially due to increased rates of drug misuse as well as changes in drug suppliers. Because iso is not easy to detect, experts are seeing more fatal cases where known cocaine users purchase and overdose from cocaine that is laced with iso. In addition, rampant unemployment, economic difficulties and social isolation have kept many patients from receiving the treatment and medication they need. As a result, the presence of legal opioid-based drugs like iso has become a convenient — and dangerous — solution.