Skyrocketing Overdose Rates on Pink
The DEA has reported about 30 drug overdoses since the beginning of 2016 in connection to the synthetic opiate ‘Pink’ or ‘Pinky.’ Adding to the nationwide overdose epidemic, Pink is under investigation by federal officials. Officials have found ‘Pink’ to be a synthetic opiate, labeled as, U-47700.
On Sept. 14, 2016, a local news station in Salt Lake City, Utah broadcasted an alarming incident that took the lives of two teenage males. Park City School District announced that 13-year-old Grant Seaver was found deceased on the morning of Sept. 11, 2016.
Only two days after the first fatal overdose, on Sept. 13, 2016, another 13 year old, Ryan Ainsworth, was discovered in his home, deceased. The deaths of these two teenagers were the first which, confirmed reports of this drugs being in Utah.
Pink is Temporarily a Schedule I Controlled Substance
Although it has not yet been confirmed, Park City Law Enforcement and the school district officials, suspect the death of the two teenagers resulted from use of this drug. To make this deadly synthetic drug illegal, the DEA filed a report to the Department of Justice stating that the users of this drug are not likely to know the purity or fatal possibility of its use.
According to the local news station KUTV, the DEA’s motion to have Pink classified among other drugs such as Ecstasy, Heroin and LSD will take place next month.
Having Pink placed as a Schedule I drug will only be temporary for the time being, which will give law enforcement a better standing to help keep the communities safe from this synthetic drug.
Keeping Our Communities Safe
However, more legislative action must take place to classify the drug permanently illegal. Park City School District announced to the community that to ease some stress, as of the Sept. 8, 2016, the drug Pink is illegal to purchase and to possess.
Park City Law Enforcement has found that this highly dangerous drug is easy to access. Especially, along the north central region and metropolitan area of Utah, which consists of the majority of the state’s population. Fortunately, it is now illegal to have any contact with the drug.
What Should We Do?
The Utah State Center for Information and Analysis reports that this extremely potent synthetic Opiate is continuing to gain popularity with individuals who use drugs on a recreational basis and is spreading through the United States.
This opioid drug is easily purchased on the web, mainly through Chinese suppliers. Fortunately, after extensive and urgent research on this new emerging drug, the DEA has been able to classify it as illegal. Now that Pink is illegal to obtain, federal officials and our communities will be much safer. Pink is highly toxic, even in the smallest of doses.
