The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has issued a public safety alert regarding illegal synthetic opioids.
According to the GBI, in the last four months 17 deaths have been caused by U-47700 and/or furanyl fentanyl, matching the number for the entire 2016 year.
Both are schedule I drugs with a high potential for abuse and are used in the same manner as heroin. There is currently no accepted medical treatment use in the United States.
The drugs are distributed in either powder or tablet form.
The GBI crime lab has received 50 cases containing U-47700 and furanyl fentanyl. The drugs are lethal at very low doses, law enforcement is asking the public to use caution when handling these drugs. They can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin and are extremely toxic in the smallest quantities.
U-47700 and furanyl fentanyl may cause symptoms such as shallow breathing, pinpoint pupils, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, lethargy, cold or clammy skin, loss of consciousness, and/or heart failure.
Police ask you to call 911 and administer Naloxone immediately if an overdose is suspected.
Both U-477000 and furanyl fentanyl have been banned by the Georgia General Assembly.