Earlier this month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) placed the deadly synthetic opioid U-47700, commonly known as “Pink” or “Pinky,” into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
Temporary, emergency scheduling of hazardous substances is a tool the DEA utilizes to investigate dangers posed by new, deadly street drugs like Pink.
“This is a very good move,” said DEA spokesperson Melvin Patterson. “Hopefully people who are seeking out something like [U-47700] understand how potent something like this is.”
After receiving confirmed reports of 46 fatalities connected to the drug, the administration felt this was a necessary action. Upon closer investigation, DEA officials uncovered 31 of the reported fatalities took place in San Francisco and 10 were in North Carolina. From October 2015 to September 2016, the DEA collected 98 reports from state and local forensic laboratories of people with traces of Pink in their blood.
U-47700 has been nicknamed Pink or Pinky because a lethal dose of the synthetic opioid can fit on a pinky nail. In fact, just touching the drug could lead to… (continue reading)
