TTainted painkillers cause 6 deaths in California
Painkilling pills laced with fentanyl have led to 28 overdoses and six deaths in Sacramento County, California over the past week, including 12 overdoses in two days. Wochit
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tainted painkillers that officials say are 80 times more potent than morphine have killed at least six people in the Sacramento area, authorities say.
Sacramento County Public Health officials added that the “street Norcos,†laced with Fentanyl and made to look like prescription painkillers, have sickened at least 28 in the past two weeks.
Olivia Kasirye, the Sacramento County health officer, wants to get word out about the danger of the drugs.
"From what we are hearing, people are taking one to two pills,†Kasirye said. “In a matter of minutes, they're becoming unconscious."
Jon Daily, a drug counselor at Recovery Happens in Sacramento, said he has treated numerous addicts.
"I've treated people who have abused pure fentanyl,†Daily said. “I never had clients using it mixed with Norco. I've been treating people with addiction since the mid-90s and this is new to me, this combination drug."
Typically, Norco is prescribed by a doctor. Fentanyl, often used by first responders, is 80 times more potent than morphine, authorities say.
"In our protocols, we used to use morphine,†said Chris Harvey of the Sacramento Fire Department. “We now use fentanyl because it's a much more powerful drug. You can give it in smaller doses. It's easier for us to administer.â€
Harvey said the tainted pills are a problem he's seen before in the area before.
"I was on a couple of calls personally at this time last year,†he said. “Males in their early 20s bought this drug, thinking they'd get just regular Norco pills and they were much more powerful than they realized.â€
Painkilling pills laced with fentanyl have led to 28 overdoses and six deaths in Sacramento County, California over the past week, including 12 overdoses in two days. Wochit
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tainted painkillers that officials say are 80 times more potent than morphine have killed at least six people in the Sacramento area, authorities say.
Sacramento County Public Health officials added that the “street Norcos,†laced with Fentanyl and made to look like prescription painkillers, have sickened at least 28 in the past two weeks.
Olivia Kasirye, the Sacramento County health officer, wants to get word out about the danger of the drugs.
"From what we are hearing, people are taking one to two pills,†Kasirye said. “In a matter of minutes, they're becoming unconscious."
Jon Daily, a drug counselor at Recovery Happens in Sacramento, said he has treated numerous addicts.
"I've treated people who have abused pure fentanyl,†Daily said. “I never had clients using it mixed with Norco. I've been treating people with addiction since the mid-90s and this is new to me, this combination drug."
Typically, Norco is prescribed by a doctor. Fentanyl, often used by first responders, is 80 times more potent than morphine, authorities say.
"In our protocols, we used to use morphine,†said Chris Harvey of the Sacramento Fire Department. “We now use fentanyl because it's a much more powerful drug. You can give it in smaller doses. It's easier for us to administer.â€
Harvey said the tainted pills are a problem he's seen before in the area before.
"I was on a couple of calls personally at this time last year,†he said. “Males in their early 20s bought this drug, thinking they'd get just regular Norco pills and they were much more powerful than they realized.â€
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