opioid which has been identified as a new chemical, its nature not yet determined. Three dead and 18 sickened by exposure to a new chemical in New Mexico Three people died and 18 first responders were sickened in Mountainair, New Mexico, this week by exposure to a new chemical, a powerful opioid which has not yet been identified. The chemical was described as a white, crystalline powder, insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol. The first effects experienced by those exposed to it were nausea, dizziness and weakness, followed by unconsciousness. Three people in a rural New Mexico home were poisoned by a new opioid this week. They died and 18 first responders were sickened.
Original dispatch: Three dead and 18 first responders sickened by apparent fentanyl exposure in New Mexico