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3 Dead In Apparent Synthetic Drug Overdoses

BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) --  Officials in Anne Arundel County and Frederick County confirmed that three people died of apparent overdoses of the synthetic drug carfentanil.

The deaths of two residents in Anne Arundel County and one in Frederick County occurred in the last couple of weeks according state officials with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Carfentanil, which is used to tranquilize elephants and other large animals, is considered 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 time more powerful than morphine.

The synthetic opioid was detected by the of Office of the Chief Medical Examiner during the autopsies of the victims.

Governor Larry Hogan has formed the Opioid Operational command center in response the opioid problem in Maryland and state officials urge people struggling with drug abuse to visit MdDestinationRecovery.org or call the crisis hotline at 1-800-422-0009.

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(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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