The Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services has announced that nine individuals have died after ingesting fentanyl pills that were sold on the street as the prescription painkiller Norco, which prompted intervention by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A total of 36 cases of overdose, including the nine deaths, have been reported since March 23, and were initially attributed to Norco laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid painkiller estimated to be 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin.
In a press report issued today, Sacramento health officials confirmed that the pills contained neither hydrocodone nor acetaminophen—both active ingredients in Norco—but were in fact fentanyl pills altered to resemble the prescription drug. Following the death of the seventh individual yesterday, Sacramento County resident Jerome Butler, the DEA announced that it would be taking over the investigation.
The report states that eight of the nine deaths occurred in Sacramento County, while the ninth was reported in Yolo County. The ages of the victims who overdosed range from 18 and 59 years of age, and are divided evenly between men and women. Health officials also posted a photo of the pills to inform individuals who may be taking “prescription-type pills” that are not prescribed by or obtained from a medical professional.
Hospital workers alerted county officials to the problem after overdose cases began flooding their emergency rooms. The public health department has, in turn, notified both the Sacramento sheriff’s department and the DEA. Addiction specialist Jon Daily, who founded the treatment and counseling center Recovery Happens, believes that the recent overdoses may be the tip of the iceberg. “It concerns me because it’s part of a distribution network of drug dealing going on in our neighborhood,” he told KCRA Sacramento. “There’s probably more to come.”
DEA Special Agent John Martin, who is heading up the Sacramento investigation, said that the case is “the biggest priority we have in the region right now—to take these pills off the street and to stop the people selling these pills. We’re conducting a full investigation with our state and local law enforcement partners.” Sgt. Salvador Robles of the Sacramento County sheriff’s major narcotics impact division said his team has obtained a “strong lead” on the source of the pills from a Sacramento County home where two of the overdoses occurred.
Fentanyl and its analogs have been linked to numerous deaths in North America. The number of deaths attributed to the drug has been in higher in some areas, like New England, than those caused by heroin.