Law enforcement officials are sounding the alarm about the dangers of synthetic drugs, which they say are becoming more prevalent in North Alabama.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency is particularly concerned about “spice,” a type of synthetic marijuana. U.S. Attorney Jay Town said law enforcement is seeing a rise in overdoses related to abuse of spice and other synthetic drugs.

“Today we are joining together with our law enforcement partners to warn the public that the use of any synthetic illicit narcotic, such as synthetic marijuana, fentanyl, and other opioids, could result in a fatal overdose by the user, especially if there are unknown additives in the narcotic,” Town said in a statement this week. “As always, our goal is to save lives.”

Law enforcement officers have seen what the DEA called “an acute increase” in overdoses related to a specific supply of synthetic marijuana. A statement said the overdoes are geographically connected, and the trend has been seen recently in North Alabama.

Clay Morris, assistant special agent in charge for the DEA, described the increase in overdoses as “alarming” and not to be taken lightly. He added dealers often target children in an attempt to get them to try spice.

He advised parents and children to educate themselves about the dangers of synthetic narcotics. He said, in many cases, the drugs are more dangerous than the drugs they are made to mimic.

“The use of these drugs is like playing Russian roulette, and you will not know the outcome of the game until it’s too late,” Morris said. “You do not know what you are putting into your body and the consequences can be deadly. It says right on the ‘spice’ packages they are not for human consumption.”

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson said the presence of synthetic drugs in Athens is not a consistent problem, but it “comes and goes.” He added it’s possible it could become a larger problem as the city and county continue to grow.

“Sometimes it trickles in from other places,” he said.

Stephen Young, deputy and spokesman for the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, said narcotics agents haven’t seen an uptick in spice in Limestone County, but there has been an increase in synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

“We’ve had several cases over the last few months involving fentanyl,” he said.

In 2017, a joint effort involving Kaléo Pharma and several state agencies allowed doses of naloxone, also known as Narcan, to be distributed to first responders. Young said all deputies have access to the drug, which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Even a small amount of fentanyl absorbed through the skin can lead to an overdose.

For more information on synthetic drugs, visit www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com or www.dea.gov.