KCUR⁠57%

Missouri warns that a highly potent new opioid, nitazene, is being found across state ⁠76%

By Rebecca Smith⁠0%

3/29/2026, 9:00:00 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 22 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Ambiguity (Equivocation), and Hasty Generalization, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 33.3% saturation with 158 hits. Analysis detected 1,418 faulty-reasoning hits from 474 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 67.9% and a BS Rank of ⁠76% (5,150 of 21,175 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 75.70% of the article peer group.

Multiple state agencies put out a warning this week about a potent new opioid that appears to be increasingly prevalent in the state — nitazene. 
The Department of Public Safety, the Department of Health & Human Services, the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education and the Department of Mental Health wrote in their alert that nitazene can be 5 to 10 times more potent than fentanyl. 
Captain Scott White of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said nitazenes were first identified in the Missouri illicit drug supply in 2023, but following recent wastewater surveillance reports from Missouri schools — it appears to be becoming more common in the state. 
"In many communities, and especially the smaller ones, the schools are the hub of activity," White said. 
"The children are there, but then you also have parents, you have other family members that are there. 
For it to be located in the schools or in the wastewater, it's in that community." 
The school-based wastewater surveillance program is operated by DPS, and schools across the state could sign up to participate. 
White said 37 schools are currently participating, and since mid-January, 26 of them have tested positive for the presence of nitazene. 
He said since the positive tests, the Highway Patrol's school resource officers have been working closely with schools to ensure they have adequate education on nitazene and access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. 
Dr. 
Heidi Miller, the Chief Medical Officer for DHSS, said that due to the potency of nitazene — infinitesimal amounts of the drug can lead to overdose. 
"So, this is a reminder for us to be vigilant, to do everything we can, to educate our children and ourselves to not even try it once. 
But really, because this is so potent, it is possible for one dose to overdose," Dr. 
Miller said. 
According to the state's alert, nitazene can show up in many forms and in many other illicit substances, such as counterfeit pills, unregulated cannabis products and even vape liquid. 
"A lot of people don't know that they may be taking it, and they're so potent that it takes very little bit of a nitazene — maybe a few granules of powder— to have a very strong effect on the human body," Dr. 
Miller said. 
Dr. 
Miller stressed to first call 911 if an overdose is suspected. 
Then administer naloxone. 
She did note, however, that due to nitazene's strength, it could take multiple doses to fully reverse an overdose. 
Naloxone is available throughout the Boone County area at public distribution boxes, and as well at Columbia/Boone County Public Health & Human Services. 
If you or someone you know needs help with substance use disorder, call 988. 
In an acute medical emergency, call 911. 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 2.5%Columbia Missourian: 1.7%Confirmation Bias0.0%This article: 14.1%Rebecca Smith: 1.8%Columbia Missourian: 0.8%Anchoring Bias14.1%This article: 20.3%Rebecca Smith: 5.7%Columbia Missourian: 2.7%Availability Heuristic20.3%This article: 3.6%Rebecca Smith: 1.1%Columbia Missourian: 0.9%Representativeness Heuristic3.6%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.4%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 3.1%Columbia Missourian: 1.3%Overconfidence Bias0.0%This article: 3.0%Rebecca Smith: 3.2%Columbia Missourian: 5.5%Framing Effect3.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.6%Columbia Missourian: 1.0%Loss Aversion0.0%This article: 7.8%Rebecca Smith: 0.4%Columbia Missourian: 0.7%Status Quo Bias7.8%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.3%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 9.1%Rebecca Smith: 4.5%Columbia Missourian: 4.5%Optimism Bias9.1%This article: 5.7%Rebecca Smith: 0.6%Columbia Missourian: 1.6%Pessimism Bias5.7%This article: 33.1%Rebecca Smith: 5.9%Columbia Missourian: 5.4%Negativity Bias33.1%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 1.0%Columbia Missourian: 1.7%Self-Serving Bias0.0%This article: 3.4%Rebecca Smith: 0.7%Columbia Missourian: 0.6%Fundamental Attribution Error3.4%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.6%Columbia Missourian: 0.2%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 1.6%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.4%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.8%Columbia Missourian: 2.4%Halo Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.0%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 18.6%Rebecca Smith: 1.8%Columbia Missourian: 0.9%Recency Bias18.6%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.3%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.5%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.3%Columbia Missourian: 0.2%Straw Man0.0%This article: 33.3%Rebecca Smith: 9.6%Columbia Missourian: 2.9%Appeal to Authority33.3%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 2.1%Columbia Missourian: 1.1%False Dilemma0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.6%Columbia Missourian: 1.0%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.5%Columbia Missourian: 0.1%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 24.9%Rebecca Smith: 8.0%Columbia Missourian: 3.6%Hasty Generalization24.9%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.2%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.7%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 18.6%Rebecca Smith: 4.1%Columbia Missourian: 5.3%Appeal to Emotion18.6%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.3%Columbia Missourian: 0.6%Begging the Question0.0%This article: 8.9%Rebecca Smith: 2.2%Columbia Missourian: 2.0%Post Hoc (False Cause)8.9%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.3%Columbia Missourian: 0.0%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 5.7%Rebecca Smith: 0.3%Columbia Missourian: 0.4%Burden of Proof5.7%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.2%Columbia Missourian: 0.2%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 6.1%Rebecca Smith: 0.7%Columbia Missourian: 0.2%Composition/Division6.1%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 6.1%Columbia Missourian: 2.6%Anecdotal0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.1%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 28.9%Rebecca Smith: 2.9%Columbia Missourian: 1.3%Ambiguity (Equivocation)28.9%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.5%Columbia Missourian: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.0%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.1%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.3%Columbia Missourian: 0.1%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 12.7%Rebecca Smith: 1.6%Columbia Missourian: 0.8%Unattributed Quote12.7%This article: 22.2%Rebecca Smith: 2.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.7%Quote-first Misdirection22.2%This article: 5.3%Rebecca Smith: 1.5%Columbia Missourian: 2.9%Biased Writer Voice5.3%This article: 9.3%Rebecca Smith: 3.5%Columbia Missourian: 1.3%Indoctrination9.3%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.0%Columbia Missourian: 0.7%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Rebecca Smith: 0.7%Columbia Missourian: 0.2%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 4.9%Rebecca Smith: 0.8%Columbia Missourian: 1.6%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…4.9%

474 words analyzed.

Speakers

3speakers75%attributed speech118writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 25 words • 100.0% coverageDepartment of Public Safety • 41 words • 0.0% coverageCaptain Scott White • 42 words • 0.0% coverageCaptain Scott White • 17 words • 100.0% coverageCaptain Scott White • 18 words • 100.0% coverageCaptain Scott White • 16 words • 0.0% coverageDepartment of Public Safety • 19 words • 0.0% coverageCaptain Scott White • 21 words • 0.0% coverageCaptain Scott White • 37 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 1 words • 0.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 26 words • 0.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 27 words • 100.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 29 words • 0.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 43 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 2 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 1 words • 0.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 11 words • 0.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 3 words • 100.0% coverageHeidi Miller • 19 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 7 words • 0.0% coverage
Selected voice

Heidi Miller

92%flagged-word coverage
145 attributed words41% of attributed speech89% writer coverage
0%25.0%50.0%Quote-first Misdirection+48.3 ptsWriter: 0.0%Heidi Miller: 48.3%48.3%Unattributed Quote+29.7 ptsWriter: 0.0%Heidi Miller: 29.7%29.7%Biased Writer Voice-21.2 ptsWriter: 21.2%Heidi Miller: 0.0%0.0%Indoctrination+8.8 ptsWriter: 11.9%Heidi Miller: 20.7%20.7%Attempt to Sell a Product -19.5 ptsWriter: 19.5%Heidi Miller: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.