BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Recently there has been an increase in the number of overdoses in Butte County related to counterfeit pills containing Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a very powerful synthetic opiate that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and 30-50 times more potent than heroin. An amount as small as 2 milligrams (about the size of 7 grains of salt) is enough to be a fatal dose of Fentanyl. There has been a rise in counterfeit pills recently containing Fentanyl. These counterfeit pills are pressed using a pill press and can be made to look like legitimate prescription medication.

The most popular counterfeit pills are Oxycodone pills commonly called "M30's" and Xanax pills commonly referred to as "Zani Bars"; however, these counterfeit pills can be pressed to look like any form of legitimate prescription medication.

For your safety, do not use medications that are not prescribed by a physician and obtained from a legitimate pharmacist. Even one of these counterfeit pills can be deadly if they are not formulated properly. If you have any information regarding the sales of counterfeit pills or other narcotics, please contact the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force at 530-538-2261.