A shocking new drug trend inside one of America’s largest jails is raising alarms after multiple inmates died from paper soaked in synthetic drugs that can be smoked like narcotics.
Officials at the Cook County Jail say at least six inmates have died since 2023 after using small paper strips laced with a powerful synthetic cannabinoid known as MDMB-4en-PINACA.
The first major warning sign came when 57-year-old inmate Thomas Diskin was found dead in his cell with no visible injuries.
Investigators only noticed burned paper fragments nearby. Lab testing later confirmed the paper itself contained the lethal drug.
After that discovery, more deaths followed.
Within weeks, a 23-year-old inmate and then a 35-year-old prisoner died under similar circumstances. By the end of the year, officials linked six fatal overdoses to inmates smoking drug-soaked paper using makeshift “wicks” made from toilet paper or cloth.
Officials say the drug is especially dangerous because Narcan often does not work against synthetic cannabinoids, making overdoses harder to reverse.
Authorities scrambled to respond. Warning posters were placed throughout the roughly 6,000 inmate facility, telling prisoners plainly: “Do not take drugs in the jail if you want to live.”
But stopping the supply proved difficult.
Smugglers began hiding the drug in:
- Letters sent through inmate mail
- Legal documents disguised as court paperwork
- Book pages shipped from online retailers
- Paper passed during jail visits
- Even inside the facility through corrupt staff
Officials say one drug soaked sheet as small as 12 by 12 inches could be worth up to $10,000 inside the jail. Since 2023, authorities say about 130 felony arrests have been made involving smugglers, inmates, and even staff members.
Detection has also been a major challenge. The drug often cannot be detected by K-9 units, forcing officials to rely on advanced paper testing machines and manual inspections.
Deaths declined to one in 2024 after stricter enforcement, but authorities are already investigating multiple suspected deaths again in 2026 as newer and stronger synthetic formulas appear.
Officials now fear an even bigger threat.
Law enforcement leaders warn that if drug soaked paper spreads outside prisons, it could become nearly impossible to detect in schools, traffic stops, or public spaces because it looks like ordinary paper.
Some officials are calling it a potential next major drug crisis if awareness does not spread quickly.