ORLANDO, Fla. (WFLA) – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says the deadly “super pill” has been located in Central Florida.
“FDLE’s Orlando crime laboratory recently started seeing counterfeit drugs, not legally prescribed, containing dangerous amounts of fentanyl or fentanyl mixed with other drugs like Percocet, Xanax or Oxycodone. Although the drugs look identical to regular prescription pain killers, they contain fentanyl,” the agency explained.
READ MORE: ‘Super pill’ is deadly and cheap, becoming big problem
In March the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office warned residents about this deadly super pill. It had killed nine people in a matter of weeks.
At first, the pill had only been located in Pinellas County.
New tablet scares doctors, law enforcement
The lethal contents of this small, white pill are cleverly packaged. The pill looks just like a Xanax. But, looks can be deceiving. And, as it turns out, deadly.
READ MORE: Doctors warn parents about teens using ‘super pill’ at pharming parties
This first-of-its-kind tablet proved a mystery for Pinellas County detectives and the Pinellas County medical examiner.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri called it a public health emergency. “You don’t have to take a handful of them. All you gotta do is take one, and you’re dead,” Gualtieri said.
Emergency room physician Dr. Raafat Hanna has been at Northside Hospital in Pinellas County for 18 years. Hanna describes the strength of Fentanyl. “It’s 80 to 100 times as strong as morphine and about 40 to 50 times more times as strong as street heroin,” he explained. “It’s easy to get overdosed on a very small dose.”
READ MORE:
- Former drug addict worries about deadly, cheap new super pill
- Recovery experts worry ‘super pill’ could have devastating effect on addicts
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