Klonopin is a brand of Clonazepam, a type of benzodiazepine. It is thought that clonazepam works by enhancing the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Klonopin slows down brain activity to help users feel relaxed. It was initially formulated to help people with epilepsy manage seizures. Later, the drug’s rapid and powerful calming effects were also recognized as a way to treat panic attacks.
Klonopin is often prescribed to ease anxiety and withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and other addictive substances. Doctors may also prescribe Klonopin for short-term insomnia. The drug is swallowed as a blue tablet or taken as a quick-dissolve tablet placed on the tongue as often as three times a day. Slang terms for Klonopin include K-pins, Tranks, Downers, or Benzos.
Recently, over 9 million counterfeit sedative tablets were seized as a result of a joint operation between the Hungarian National Police (Magyar Rendőrség) and the Norwegian Police (Politi) with the support of Europol and Eurojust.
The two leaders of this criminal network were arrested in Hungary, alongside three of their accomplices, as a result of house searches carried out on 24-25 March. The criminals were producing counterfeit Clonazepam tablets in an underground laboratory. Some 250 kilos and 300 liters of various precursors were found on-the-spot. Most of these counterfeit pills end up in the United states, United Kingdom and Canada.
Counterfeit Klonopin pills often do not contain the real active ingredient (Clonazepam) but deadly ingredients like fentanyl. Some drug dealers are using fentanyl to produce fake drugs. This is because it takes very little to produce a high with fentanyl, making it a cheaper option. This is especially risky when people taking drugs don’t realize they might contain fentanyl as a cheap but dangerous additive. They might be taking stronger opioids than their bodies are used to and can be more likely to overdose. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.
How to Identify Fake Klonopin
According to Interpol, counterfeit medicines are often packaged to a high standard with fake pills that look identical to the genuine ones. Sometimes a laboratory test is the only way to identify the difference.
It is essential to take care when buying your medicines, especially online.
Look out for the “six Ps”:
- Place – Never buy Klonopin from unknown websites or in a market place. Buy medicines only from licensed suppliers who display an authenticity certificate. If you are unsure about a supplier’s credentials, check the list of registered dispensaries at your local health regulatory body. This applies to suppliers both online and offline.
- Prescriptions – Only buy Klonopin that has been prescribed by your doctor or healthcare professional. When buying online, make sure the website requires you to present a prescription. Do not buy from websites that offer prescriptions on the basis of questionnaires or do not have a contactable pharmacist.
- Promises – Be wary of pharmacies that offer “too good to be true” promises. False promises to watch out for are “cures all types” of a major illness, “money-back guarantee”, “no risk” or “limited supply – buy in advance”.
- Price – Check the price against products you usually buy or with reputable providers. If it is substantially cheaper, it is likely to be a fake.
- Privacy – Do not supply any financial information to a website, unless you are sure it has a secure online payment system. The trade in fake medical products has also been linked to credit card fraud and identity theft. Do not reveal any personal information beyond appropriate medical details.
- Product – Compare the Klonopin against your usual prescription. A medicine is fake if:
- It contains too much, too little or any different ingredients;
- Claims to have different properties or side-effects;
- Has a different shape, size, taste or color;
- Is not correctly labelled or not labelled at all;
- Has an out-of-date or missing expiry date;
- Does not contain information on how to store the medicine;
- The packaging looks poorly constructed or appears to have interfered with;
- There are spelling or grammatical errors on the packaging or instructions.
How to Spot Fake Klonopin Laced With Fentanyl
Fentanyl Test
Fentanyl testing is one of the most reliable ways of telling a fake Klonopin from a real one. A new University of Maryland study found fentanyl tops the list of drugs detected in overdose patients at two Baltimore hospital emergency departments. The finding suggests that hospitals and medical systems throughout the United States consider adding fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid linked to most fatal overdoses in Maryland, to their routine drug testing panels. That is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, fentanyl is not routinely included in these panels nationwide. The procedure described below can help law enforcement agents and public health officials to pick out fentanyl laced powders and pills.
Steps
- Crush pill or pour powder into a clean bowl or test tube
- Add ¼ inch of clean water to the powder in the tube or bowl and mix properly
- Dip the end of the test strip into the residue for 15 seconds, remove, and lay on a clean flat surface
- Check strip after 5 minutes, (manufacturer’s directions) results may be visible sooner: One line means fentanyl (positive) Two lines means no fentanyl (negative) Note: If the strip does not either have one or two lines, the test is invalid.
Verify Online or SMS
Many countries have unique methods for verifying the genuineness of medications using authentication code or other online portals to confirm the authenticity of a drug. You can use these methods to confirm whether the drug in your possession is genuine or fake.
