Using one drug to withdrawal from another

In the world of opioid and methamphetamine usage officials are seeing in a change in the drug culture.

Some are saying opioid addicts are more aware their drugs are being laced with the deadly drug fentanyl, which might be leading them to try other drugs.

Brook Marshall is an addiction therapist with Oakland and the St. Joseph County Jail who says addicts are getting wary of drugs being cut with more powerful stuff.

“Word on the street is very…open that heroin is super deadly. So I think people think that methamphetamine is almost a safer version and safer to use. Which is false,” says Marshall

Other experts are saying that addicts are using meth to try to not get the side effects which can come with withdrawal symptoms.

Dawn Brauneker is a recovering meth addict who says she’s seen this first hand in her friend group.

“They don't want to withdrawal and they don't want to get sick, so they'll use whatever they can. Right now that happens to be meth so now they’re using meth so they don't get the symptoms,” says Brauneker.

Both drugs are extremely dangerous and in worse case scenarios are killing off hundreds of people.