Boonville, Hallsville among Mid-Missouri high schools with nitazenes detected in wastewater
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A type of opioid has been detected in the wastewater of several schools around the state, including a few in Mid-Missouri.
A press release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services says nitazenes are “a highly potent class of synthetic opioids increasingly detected across the state.”
The drug is roughly five-to-10 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the DHSS. The drug has allegedly been found in “counterfeit pills, illicit powders, unregulated cannabis products and vape liquid, often without the user’s knowledge,” according to the release.
The release says nitazenes were used in 14 overdose deaths around the state in 2024.
According to the release, 37 schools from around the state have participated in a wastewater monitoring program since January, resulting in 26 positive tests.
Mid-Missouri schools that tested positive included Boonville High School, Boonville Alternate School, Hallsville High School, Owensville High School and St. James High School.
You can view the full list of participants in the study and which ones tested positive for nitazenes in the document below.