Drug checking identifies an industrial chemical, BTMPs, in the fentanyl supply
What you should know about BTMPS
It’s widely recognized that the unregulated drug supply in the United States — especially illicit fentanyl — is constantly evolving. New and different harmful chemicals are added to these drugs to increase their volume and enhance or otherwise alter the effects of the drug. These “cutting agents” or “adulterants” are usually added during the unlawful manufacturing or distribution process.
Recently, a toxic industrial chemical called BTMPS (pronounced Bee-temps) has been found in significant amounts in unregulated fentanyl in states across the nation. This worrying finding emphasizes the importance of finding and using drug-checking programs in your community.
What is BTMPS?
Since the late 2010s, much of the East Coast fentanyl supply has been cut with xylazine, or “tranq”, an animal sedative commonly used in veterinary medicine. Today, BTMPS is the fentanyl adulterant of concern being found in drug samples across the country. The industrial chemical is used as a sealant or coating designed to protect surfaces against UV-light degradation. It is commonly used in plastics, including those approved to be used with food and for use in laboratory equipment. BTMPS is considered toxic and has not been studied in humans, but some studies have found BTMPS to be lethal in animals.
Drug Checking Los Angeles (DCLA) is a community-based organization that provides free and anonymous drug checking in Hollywood, East LA, and other sites throughout Los Angeles. In July 2024, DCLA discovered BTMPS in samples of fentanyl via routine program operations. Around the same time, drug checking programs in Philadelphia, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, Washington, and Puerto Rico also found BTMPS in fentanyl. Months later, BTMPS was found in over half of the fentanyl samples tested in September and October in Los Angeles. In Philadelphia, BTMPS was found in roughly 25% of fentanyl, dope, and tranq-dope samples between June and September 2024.
The presence of BTMPS in the samples was concerning, but it was the alarmingly high levels of it that made the issue particularly significant. While BTMPS was found in trace amounts in some samples from Los Angeles and Philadelphia, in others it was found to make up as much as 56% of the sample. In fact, most samples contained more BTMPS than fentanyl, with some samples having as much as ten times more BTMPS than fentanyl. A few samples that contained BTMPS were found to have no detectable levels of fentanyl in them at all.
BTMPS has only been identified in fentanyl, no other drugs, and continues to appear in fentanyl test results in Los Angeles. To read more, check out the research letter published in JAMA.
Why add BTMPS to fentanyl?
It is unclear why BTMPS would be added to the unregulated fentanyl supply. However, given the relatively very high levels of BTMPS being found, it is likely that it is added intentionally and that its inclusion is not by accident (e.g., leaching from plastic lab equipment). It is possible that BTMPS is being added as a bulking agent, however given that it is not cheaper or otherwise more readily available than other popular bulking agents (e.g., sugars like mannitol or OTC drugs like acetaminophen), this theory also seems unlikely. Another possibility is that BTMPS may be added as a stabilizer to other fentanyl precursor chemicals, like 4-ANPP, which are relatively unstable.
While some BTMPS studies done on mice report that the chemical can cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to certain neural receptors, it is clear more research into the health effects of BTMPS on humans is needed.
Why it is important to drug check
According to participants who access drug-checking services in Los Angeles, fentanyl adulterated with BTMPS does not appear to provide any benefit. People who have smoked fentanyl contaminated with BTMPS report a harsh burn and a bad taste similar to chlorine, bug spray, and other chemicals. Other than the taste, fentanyl contaminated with BTMPS is otherwise indistinguishable from more typical unregulated fentanyl. It will melt and maintain its color, dissolve in water, and remain flavorless until vaporized. The only reliable way to tell if fentanyl is contaminated with BTMPS is through drug-checking services like DCLA.
DCLA is able to test nearly any drug, including but not limited to fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and crack, MDMA and ecstasy, pharmaceutical pills and pressies, other research chemicals, and ground scores. DCLA provides real-time results using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) methods, as well as secondary confirmatory testing, which includes sample breakdown and quantification.
