Drug-soaked paper is killing inmates amid reports of prison smuggling trends

A dangerous drug smuggling trend has been reported among U.S. jails and prisons, highlighting a growing health risk.

Synthetic cannabinoids have been increasingly detected in fatal overdoses among incarcerated individuals, according to a recent alert from The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE).

These man-made psychoactive substances are designed to mimic the effects of THC, the primary active component of cannabis.

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Reports have also revealed that synthetic cannabinoids are increasingly being smuggled into correctional facilities on common paper items, such as letters, greeting cards, books, postcards and magazines.

The CFSRE has previously warned of "drug-soaked paper strips" causing overdoses among incarcerated individuals.

In many cases, the papers are laced with a "potpourri" of synthetic cannabinoids mixed with other dangerous drugs, officials noted.

"While it’s impossible to know exactly why people are cooking up these combinations, I suspect they are simply ordering these substances from China or India and mixing them with very little understanding of how different substances interact or what constitutes a lethal dose," Alex Krotulski, director of toxicology and chemistry for the CFSRE, told a local outlet.

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In a December 2024 study, the CFSRE found that the paper strips it examined primarily contained "synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, nitazene opioids, and other novel psychoactive substances."

The drug-laced papers have been found to cause "severe health outcomes," including central nervous system depression (slowed brain activity) and bradycardia (slowed heart rate), the agency stated.

Cook County Jail in Chicago, which houses nearly 5,000 detainees, has reported increasing cases of smugglers soaking paper with synthetic drugs and sending them into the jail through mail or visitors.

In 2023, the jail’s administration confirmed 18 total deaths of prisoners in custody. Five of those were caused by overdose, with three involving synthetic cannabinoids, according to Cook County Medical Examiner records.

"I cannot stress how serious this is," Dr. Priscilla Ware, who oversees Cook County Correctional Health and is medical director of Cermak Health Services, told a local outlet in November 2023. "People are dying from this product every single day when they use it."

To address the growing trend of soaking paper with cannabinoids, the jail’s administrators reportedly implemented a ban on paper in April 2023.

In 2024, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told a local outlet that while overdose deaths were lower that year, drug-soaked paper smuggling continues to be an issue.

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"Unfortunately, it has been common to see test results for drug-soaked paper come back with two or three dangerous drugs, and we know that the people who produce this paper often included toxic chemicals, such as insecticides and rat poison, in their ‘recipes,’" Dart told the outlet. 

"That was alarming enough. But to see these results come back with a half dozen or more dangerous synthetic drugs – any one of which could be fatal on its own – is terrifying."

In July 2024, Cook County reportedly seized three pieces of paper that were suspected to be laced with drugs. Testing by CFSRE found that the papers contained up to 10 separate dangerous synthetic drugs, including protonitazene (a synthetic opioid up to three times more powerful than fentanyl) and xylazine (a powerful animal sedative known as "tranq" or "zombie drug").

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Cook County noted in an August 2024 press release that drug-laced papers have been known to sell for $10,000 per page.

The issue appears to extend beyond Chicago, as The New York Times has reported that at least 16 states have prosecuted people for smuggling drug-laced papers into jails and prisons.

"Drug‑soaked paper allows extremely powerful substances — synthetic cannabinoids, opioids and other novel compounds — to be delivered invisibly, without smell or obvious residue, making detection difficult in many environments," Dr. Adam Scioli, chief medical officer of Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, told Fox News Digital.

Scioli said the "drug‑impregnated paper" should not be viewed as a problem limited to prisons. 

"It represents a broader and very troubling shift in how highly potent synthetic drugs are being distributed, concealed and consumed across multiple settings," he said. "The same delivery method can easily affect schools, mail rooms, shelters, treatment centers and private homes — any place where paper moves freely and inspection is limited."

The fact that paper can be handled or shared unintentionally raises the risk not only of overdose, but of accidental exposure to staff, family members or bystanders, Scioli cautioned.

To reduce accidental exposure and to protect both the public and frontline workers, Scioli calls for early detection and screening tools.

"Expanding access to evidence‑based addiction treatment, including medications for opioid and alcohol use disorder, directly lowers demand for illicit and high‑risk substances," he added.

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"A coordinated response that includes healthcare, public safety, mail systems and community education is essential — this cannot be solved by enforcement alone."

Fox News Digital reached out to Cook County Jail requesting comment.