Deadly Fentanyl May Be Circulating Locally: Health Officials

SEATTLE, WA - The extremely powerful opioid fentanyl has been detected in King County, according to health officials. A person who died of a likely drug overdose last week was carrying a bag of fake oxycodone pills that were confirmed to contain fentanyl.

Fentanyl is about 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Health officials are concerned that more drugs circulating locally might contain fentanyl. They are warning drug users to never use drugs alone, and to carry naloxone.

"The risk of overdose from fentanyl and this latest batch of fake pills reinforces the need for users to be aware that fentanyl is circulating in our community and may be hidden in pills and other illicit drugs," King County Public Health wrote in a blog post Monday. "To prevent accidental overdose, illicit drug users should not use alone and should carry naloxone, the medication that can reverse an overdose. And, the best way to protect your health is to be treated for addiction.

Also See: These Drugs Just Surpassed Heroin As The Deadliest Opioids In The US

Just 3 milligram of fentanyl can be deadly compared to 10 times that amount for heroin.

The drug is also potentially deadly to non-drug users who come into contact with it. In May, a police officer in East Liverpool, Ohio, overdosed after he brushed fentanyl off his uniform with his bare hand. Officer Chris Green collapsed at the police station and was treated with the anti-opioid Narcan. He survived the ordeal.

An even deadlier synthetic opioid, carfentanil, is estimated to be about 10,000 times as powerful as heroin.

Photo via Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press