DEA ALERT: U-47700 Otherwise Known As Pink

Somewhere in between working long hours and preparing for the April A-Z Blog Challenge I missed an alert post sent out by the DEA regarding a ban on a dangerous designer drug known as Pink. I am learning that just because we have jobs and have to work doesn't slow down the market for the dangerous new designer drugs does it? This DEA alert was sent out three months ago. I have learned in all of this that we always have to  be on our toes. When they crack down on one, others emerge quickly into the spotlight. It is hard keeping up with all of them.
This is why it is so important to arm yourself with as much information as you can. Stay on top of the new and improved designer drugs. Know what your young kids and teenagers are up to.

November 10, 2016
Contact: DEA Public Affairs
(202) 307-7977

DEA Schedules Deadly Synthetic Drug U-47700

46 confirmed deaths linked to dangerous opioid in ’15 and ’16 spark emergency action

NOV 10 (WASHINGTON) – Responding to the imminent threat to public health and safety, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has placed U-47700 into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, effective on November 14th.  Emergency scheduling of dangerous drugs such as U-47700 on a temporary basis is one of the most significant tools DEA can utilize to address the problems associated with deadly new street drugs.

DEA received reports of at least 46 confirmed fatalities associated with U-47700  31 of those fatalities occurred in New York and 10 in North Carolina. From October 2015 to September 2016, DEA received 88 reports from State and local forensic laboratories of U-47700 submissions.
This scheduling action will last for 24 months, with a possible 12-month extension if DEA needs more data to determine whether it should be permanently scheduled.

U-47700 is a novel synthetic opioid, and its abuse parallels that of heroin, prescription opioids, and other novel opioids.  Law enforcement agencies report seizures of the drug in powder form and counterfeit tablets that mimic pharmaceutical opioids. Abuse of the drug often happens unknowingly to the user, and is encountered as a single substance as well as in combination with other drugs such as heroin and fentanyl. Some bags are marked with stamped logos, imitating a heroin sale. In addition, the drug can be pressed into pill format and marketed as a wide variety of prescription opioids.

Because substances like U-47700 are often manufactured in illicit labs overseas, the identity, purity, and quantity are unknown, creating a “Russian Roulette” scenario for any user.

DEA's Final Order is available for public viewing today in the Federal Register and outlines the purpose of the action and details the threats it poses to public health and safety. On Monday, November 14th, the Final Order will be published in the Federal Register and will take effect. Also included in Monday's Federal Register notice will be DEA's 3-factor analysis of the drug as required by the Controlled Substances Act, including DEA’s analysis of U-47700, which includes the drug’s chemical structure; history and current pattern of abuse; scope, duration and significance of abuse; and risk to the public health.  Also included in DEA's evaluation are detailed charts of opioid receptors binding and functional results of U-47700, and all other supporting documentation.

On November 16, 2016 the DEA alerted that they were temporarily banning the synthetic drug, U-47700
Just what is U-47700 or Pink?

The webpage at Drug. Com says:

U-47700, also known as “Pink”, "Pinky", or “U4” on the streets, is a synthetic opioid pain medication developed as a dangerous designer drug. Since 2015, reports have surfaced of multiple deaths due to street use of U-47700 or "Pink". Importation into the U.S. is primarily from clandestine chemical labs in China.

U-47700 has been seized by law officials on the street in powder form and as tablets. Typically it appears as a white or light pinkish, chalky powder. It may be sold in glassine bags stamped with logos imitating heroin, in envelopes and inside knotted corners of plastic bags. In Ohio, authorities seized 500 pills resembling a manufacturer’s oxycodone immediate-release tablets, but... read more @ Drug. com

Just What Is Pink or U-47700? (wiki)
New and Old Designer Drugs

pic found @ teamshatter