Wastewater testing on Nantucket Island has revealed cocaine levels 50% higher than the national average, according to results published by local health officials.
“I think it’s interesting that cocaine was so high, and I was surprised fentanyl was so low, because fentanyl is in everything,” Addiction Solutions of Nantucket founder Dr. Timothy Lepore told The Boston Globe. “I thought fentanyl would be higher.”
Lepore noted that the affluent summer residents on the exclusive island might explain the higher cocaine levels.
“I’m interested to see in the depths of winter, when people with large amounts of disposable income have left the island,” he added to the Globe.
Samples collected over six weeks this summer measured more than 1,500 nanograms per liter of cocaine, compared with a national average of about 1,000 ng/L. The tests, conducted at the Surfside Wastewater Treatment Facility and analyzed by Cambridge-based Biobot Analytics, also detected traces of fentanyl, methamphetamine, xylazine, and prescription opioids.
Fentanyl and methamphetamine readings were lower than both national and regional averages.
Nantucket’s public health director, Roque Miramontes, cautioned that wastewater analysis is still developing and that more baseline data is needed to determine long-term trends.
“As this activity is still in its early stages, additional baseline data is needed to provide a clearer picture,” he told the Globe. “For high-risk substances and opioids, a sustained increase over several weeks may be a stronger indicator for public health intervention. We are sharing the data now to begin equipping community behavioral health partners with actionable information.”
The island, known as a summer destination for wealthy visitors including celebrities and business leaders, will undergo additional testing in winter, when its population drops significantly.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
