Chicago, IL, May 10, 1996 (ENN)-- Philadelphia paramedics had a busy night last night. According to one veteran medic, they responded to more than 116 calls for overdoses of a new heroin called "Homicide", or "Super Buick." The exact pharmacological properties of the drug have not been determined, but according to the medics it can cause extremely violent behavior and has placed at least eleven (11) patients in intensive care in a number of Philadelphia hospitals.
Philly medics say that as they ran from overdose call to overdose call, where they were faced with incoherent and violent patients, who reported that they thought they had taken "some 'horse' named 'Homicide'." The streetname was previously unknown by police or paramedic sources in the area, but one officer speculated that the drug could be heroin mixed with PCP, an animal tranquilizer. The drug enforcement officer, who asked not to be identified, said that such a mixture could account for the violent behavior that was exhibited by any number of "Homicide" victims. The officer cautioned, however, that a toxicological examination must be done in order to actually identify the substance.
An normally reliable EMS source from the Philadelpia suburbs told ENN that he believed that heroin was mixed with a "surgical anesthetic" and may be similar to a streetdrug called "Tango & Cash" which resulted in numerous overdoses in the New York City/New Jersey area in 1994. It still remains unknown if this latest series of incidents is related to the distribution of a drug called "Polo" or "Death Shot", which caused a number of overdoses in New Jersey, New York City, and Philadelphia in Feburary of this year.
ENN is gathering more information about how widely the drug was distributed and if similar reports have been received from other communities. Philadelphia police are said to be blanketing the area where several overdoses occurred and are notifying known drug abusers about the dangers of the drug. Extreme caution is recommended when attempting to manage patients who have taken this drug. Several emergency personnel and restraints may be needed to adequately assure the patients and rescuers safety.
Parties that become aware of, and would like to report similar overdoses, or would like to obtain additional information about the emergence of this drug can contact us at: