Hamilton County officials warn about bug spray-laced drug that turns people into 'zombies'

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. - Officials in Hamilton County issued a warning on Monday about a concerning spike in overdoses related to the street drug known as "KD," which can send people into a catatonic state that has been described as zombie-like.




KD is not new. In 2019, medics on the east side of Indianapolis were seeing a big spike in the number of people overdosing on the drug.




Back then, FOX59/CBS4 cameras captured a man rolling in the grass while overdosing on KD. He was unresponsive and struggling to breathe as he was treated by medics.




"It sends them into a zombie-like condition," Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison said during an interview with FOX59/CBS4 on Monday.




A problem then remains a problem now. Jellison said health officials have seen four overdoses on the drug in a week's time. All of them happened in Noblesville, and nobody died.




"That's an unusual drug to this county," Jellison said. "To have four in one week that really sent up some red flags for us."




KD is marijuana or tobacco that is sprayed with household bug killers and then smoked. It can cause people to lose the ability to walk, speak or breathe. The other danger? It doesn't have a quick reversing agent like naloxone is for opioid overdoses.




"First responders just have to basically treat the symptoms," Jellison said.




KD was also to blame for a mass overdose in downtown Indianapolis in March 2025 that sent six people to the hospital. Jellison said the drug is cheap and easily accessible, which makes it that much more dangerous.




"You know with fentanyl-cut drugs and now you're seeing KD and all these new emerging drugs," Jellison said. "It's a very dangerous time."




Jellison is urging parents and caregivers to speak to young people about the danger that synthetic drugs pose.



via: https://fox59.com/news/hamilton-county-officials-warn-about-bug-spray-laced-drug-that-turns-people-into-zombies/