Officials Say 28 Have OD'd In Philadelphia On Heroin Mix
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Health officials in Philadelphia are warning about a deadly mix of heroin and the powerful narcotic fentanyl that has killed dozens of people in recent months.
The city Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability said Monday that the drug cocktail is being blamed for the deaths of least 28 people in the city this year, with most of the fatalities happening between March 3 and April 20.
The department is awaiting test results on seven more people.
Roland Lamb of the Philadelphia Health Department said officials are trying to get the word out about the risks by distributing an alert to hospitals and health care providers.
Fentanyl is a synthetic morphine substitute at least 50 times more powerful than morphine.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)