County health department warns of fentanyl-laced drugs

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Due to recent overdose deaths in northwest Washington, Whatcom County health officials issued a warning on October 4 about risks to illicit drug users.

“Whatcom County health officials are strongly encouraging people who use illicit drugs to understand the risk for fatal overdoses, especially overdoses from fentanyl,” the county’s press release said.

Fentanyl is an opioid that’s up to 100 times more powerful than other opioids, according to the health department. It is most often seen in pills and white powders, including counterfeit pills that are made to look like prescription drugs.

The warning comes during the King County sheriff’s office’s investigations of several overdose deaths since mid-September that it believes are linked to fentanyl. King County health department officials have attributed recent fentanyl-related deaths to teens ingesting counterfeit drugs that they thought were legitimate oxycodone tablets. Several counterfeit pills in King County overdoses had “M30” stamped on them, the King County sheriff told the Seattle Times.

The county health department also urges people to return unused pain medications to a Whatcom Med Return kiosk for safe disposal. There’s a kiosk at the Blaine Police Department and another at Unity Care NW in Ferndale. For more prescription return locations, visit whatcommedreturn.org.

For more information, see the county’s press release at bit.ly/33cmSkY.

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