Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler warned county residents on Aug. 25 of the dangers of Fentanyl, a notoriously toxic painkiller linked with fatal overdoses, including the recent death of the singer Prince.
Fentanyl can be mixed with the opioid heroin or sold as heroin. It is 100 times more powerful than morphine, and can increase the danger of an overdose when mixed with the narcotic.
“We have noticed an uptick in fentanyl being present in the heroin recovered during narcotics investigations,” Hoovler said in a press release. “The public needs to be aware of the potentially lethal consequences of these substances.”
The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the State Department of Health released an alert on the painkiller, saying it can cause a “little known side effect of chest wall rigidity in which the person who has used the drug cannot move his or her chest wall to breathe even though he or she might be conscious and trying to do so.”
The alert suggests people call 911 in the event of an overdose. It also warns residents that Fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin, so touching it may present a danger. To learn more about the signs of heroin use and addiction, visit the District Attorney’s website.
To contact this reporter, email colin.fredericson@epochtimes.com
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