Rat poison is just one of the potentially dangerous substances likely to be mixed into illicit drugs

Impurities are often added to recreational drugs to mask poor quality. Sebastian Leesch/EyeEm via Getty ImagesOver 150 people in Illinois started bleeding uncontrollably after using synthetic cannabis-based products – including fake marijuana, Spice and K2 – that contained the rat poison brodifacoum in March and April 2018. By the end of July 2021, these banned products were still being sold in 10 states and the District of Columbia, resulting in hundreds of severe bleeds and several deaths. Ill