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Law enforcement leaders host forum warning metro Detroit families about deadly synthetic drugs

Law enforcement leaders host forum warning families about deadly synthetic drugs
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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Law enforcement leaders from across metro Detroit are uniting to warn families about the deadly crisis of synthetic drugs that continues to cross community lines.

At a community forum in Southfield, police chiefs and public safety officials from Oak Park, Farmington Hills and Oakland County gathered to address the dangers of synthetic drugs like fentanyl that are claiming lives and targeting young people.

Watch the video report below:

Law enforcement leaders host forum warning families about deadly synthetic drugs

"If we can educate a handful of people, one or two or however many about the dangers and steer them away from actually taking synthetic drugs, that's definitely a step in the right direction," said Steve Cooper, director of Public Safety for Southfield.

Nearly 70% of all drug poisonings and overdose deaths in 2023 involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren organized the multi-agency meeting to address the growing threat of synthetic drugs in the region and how it impacts human trafficking.

"You see it at the gas stations, you see it online, readily available synthetic drugs that the community has direct access to and so that's why we're here to bring awareness to make sure that we plea to the legislators to ensure that the penalties associated with giving these drugs to our community are enforced and are taken very seriously through the judicial process," Barren said.

Michigan health officials reported this summer that the state is seeing a reemergence of the potentially deadly opioid carfentanil, with 11 deaths linked to the drug since January.

Barren noted that authorities are not only seeing carfentanil but also synthetic marijuana and what's being referred to as "gas station heroin" impacting young people.

"They are drugs that are manufactured in these plants. They're unregulated, thereby having a lot of toxins, which when they impact the human body, you're talking about paranoia, you're talking about schizophrenia, you're talking about depression and, more importantly, overdoses resulting in death," Barren said.

Gregory Swan knows the devastating reality of losing a child to the dangerous substances.

"This stuff kills, kills you dead like raid kills bugs. It debilitates the bereaved parent," Swan said.

His son Drew was 24 years old when he died from fentanyl poisoning. He took a prescribed pill from a roommate that spiraled into opioid addiction.

"He just, he was wonderful. He was funny and he was stunning and he made every person feel important. I mean, the last week of his life, he was getting dry cleaning for homeless people," Swan said.

Swan believes Naloxone would have saved his life.

Swan has dedicated his life to raising awareness about the dangers of synthetic drugs, traveling the county to speak at classrooms and events with nonprofit Fentanyl Fathers, which is on a mission to prevent other families from experiencing their pain.

The parents, who have personally experienced the loss of their own children to opioid-related tragedies, go into high schools, share their story and educate them on Naloxone and other trainings.

"What we found is getting out and advocating is really helpful to us," Swan said.

The forum attracted many community members who came to learn and share stories.

"That's where the community comes from. We get information from them. What do you see? What recommendations do you have for law enforcement and things that maybe we can do better? Also important for us to educate our community," Barren said.

Officials emphasized that no single agency can tackle this crisis alone, highlighting the importance of community involvement and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.

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