Deadly Fentanyl-Laced Percocet Killing People in Georgia

Overdoses in Georgia by county Source: Georgia Bureau of Investigation

As reported by WSB-TV2 Atlanta, chemistry experts at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) issued a public safety warning to the state’s citizens. Agents warned that the latest crisis is counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and fentanyl analogues sold to unsuspecting people on the street. GBI spokeswoman Nelly Mile called the situation unprecedented, noting that, “If you’re getting something on the street and you think it’s one thing, there’s a strong chance that it’s gonna be something that’s completely different.”

GBI Director Vernon Keenan said, “Since January of 2015, we have tested 454 different types of counterfeit tablets.” He reminded people that not knowing what is in a pill means that you have no idea how it will affect your body and sometimes, it can be deadly. Data from the lab shows that the counterfeit pill problem is a statewide issue, but mostly centered around the Atlanta area. He quickly scheduled a meeting with key drug enforcement leaders to educate them on what protective gear is necessary when handling these drugs.

Jennifer Bryant Hodge described the pain of losing her son, Robbie Hodge, to a counterfeit pill. She said the pill looked exactly like a real Xanax. Her son needed some sleep and, “…he took one and is now sleeping forever.” Since Robbie Hodge died, five more people have been killed, reports Fox5 Atlanta.

Officials at GBI said this whole situation came to light because of a tablet marked as oxycodone. Lab analysis showed the pill contained a new drug called “pink,” which is a combination of furanyl fentanyl and fentanyl, both synthetic opioids. Showing how you can never be too careful, they said, “We found a tablet in this drug study that was supposed to be aspirin that contained fentanyl.”