Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jan 2007
Source: Detroit Free Press (MI)
Copyright: 2007 Detroit Free Press
Contact:  http://www.freep.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/125
Author: Cecil Angel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

FENTANYL CASES CITED FOR RISE IN DRUG DEATHS IN '06

Drug deaths soared by at least 20% in Wayne County last year, the 
result of a deadly mix of heroin and cocaine laced with fentanyl that 
received notoriety last spring and summer as fatalities increased in 
metro Detroit.

On Thursday, the county Department of Health and Human Services 
released its figures, with the Medical Examiner's Office reporting 
more than 550 drug deaths through mid-December -- 93 more than that 
reported in all of the previous year.

The department didn't release how many of the deaths were caused by 
fentanyl but said the cases were responsible for the increase. 
Previous reports noted that between September 2005 and October 2006, 
198 deaths in the county were linked to fentanyl.

"These numbers show fentanyl is a killer," Wayne County Executive 
Robert Ficano said in a statement Thursday.

Fentanyl, a painkiller, can be 80 times more powerful than morphine.

Figures for Macomb and Oakland counties through mid-December were 
unavailable, but officials in those counties said they also expect 
more drug deaths in 2006 than in the previous year.

In Oakland County, which also tracks Genesee County drug deaths, 75 
overdoses had been linked to fentanyl from September 2005 through 
November 2006.

Macomb County had about 20 fentanyl-related deaths in the same period.
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