It first came on the scene back in April. Since then, at least two deaths in Georgia have been attributed to the synthetic opioid U-47700 and deaths linked to it have been reported across the nation.
On Friday the Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued a press release warning of the dangers of the drug. It says U-47700, which was originally developed as a research chemical, is “actively being abused by many.”
This week the federal government added U-47700 to its list of Schedule I narcotics which are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The move follows an emergency designation of U-47700 as a Schedule I narcotic by the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy this past spring.
U-47700 is considered to be 7-10 stronger than heroin. Its side effects include sedation, constipation, and respiratory depression that could be fatal.
Cases reviewed by the GBI where the synthetic drug was present found that U-47700 comes in various forms, including tablets and powder.
“The past couple of years, our state and our nation has been overcome with the opiate epidemic. The introduction of U-47700 in the state of Georgia is another illustration of this far reaching issue,” the GBI release states. “The public is urged to be aware of the extreme dangers of all opiates and synthetic opioids including U-47700.”
