Man, 25, died after smoking what he thought was a weed joint
A man in America tragically died after smoking what he thought was a weed joint.
Christian Salas sat down to enjoy what he thought was a blunt earlier this year in his home state of Arizona, where the drug has been legal for recreational use since November 2020.
Although marijuana can cause both immediate and long-term damage, particularly in terms of physiological and psychological effects, it is often considered one of the more innocent substances available out there.
Tragically, in Christian's case, the joint had been laced with a far more dangerous drug - fentanyl.
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The opioid affects the parts of the brain that control breathing and an overdose can easily slow breathing to a life-threatening level.
A toxicology report later found that the joint Christian smoked had 417 times the legal dose of fentanyl in it.
Heartbreakingly, it was his eight-year-old sister that found him lying lifeless in the family's yard, with the youngster telling her mother that he 'looked weird'.
His mother Kim has admitted that she knew straight away that her son had passed away, although she first thought that it had been a pill which had caused his death, rather than the joint.
She said: “I initially thought that he had taken a pill; I didn’t even think about weed being laced.
“The medical examiner found that the weed he had taken had 417 times the legal amount of fentanyl.
“I feel sick, scared, and mad. Every emotion that you can feel, the fact that this stuff is on the streets is breath-taking.”
Christian's death wasn't the only one, however, with Kim claiming that as many as 10 other people had overdosed on the drug in the town in recent times, and she's now urging others to stay safe when taking recreational drugs.
She added: "I was in disbelief. If anything, I was questioning why. Nobody knows where Christian got the fentanyl from.
“It is going around the town. Around the same time Christian had died, there were around 10 more overdose deaths.
"It makes me so angry knowing they will never be able to find who did this to Christian.
“I have three more kids in grade school, I have nephews and nieces in high school - it is scary.
“They are putting it in everything nowadays. Nobody is safe.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week
James Moorhouse