HSE public health message to people who use illicit drugs in the Cork city area.

HSE public health message to people who use illicit drugs in the Cork city area:

In particular, we wish to highlight that a white powder called U-47700 may be in circulation. It may be in the form of a white powder and may be sold as cocaine.

As per the HSE policies to reduce harm for people who take illicit substances the HSE wish to highlight the following.

All drug users are advised that there is no guarantee that the drug you think you are buying and consuming is in fact the drug you are sold.

We are aware that substances sold as cocaine may in fact contain other substances such as synthetic opioids. There is no way of telling what is in a powder or pill just by looking at it. It may look like the drug you want to purchase but it may well be something else. There is no quality control on illegal drugs. There can be problems with purity and contaminants in all illegal drugs.

It is always better not to take unknown or illicit drugs at all due to unwanted and serious medical and psychological side effects

However, if you do decide to use illicit substances:

• Never mix your drugs with alcohol or other drugs (legal or illegal) as they can all interact dangerously with each other.
• It is less risky to take a smaller amount of a substance when you are unsure of its source. Always have a friend with you who can call the emergency services for help if you get into difficulty and call for help as soon as possible.

Source: HSE, 17/01/2017