SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGO) -- Federal authorities issued a public safety alert on Saturday now that nine people in the Sacramento area have died from a counterfeit drug since March 24.
Investigators say it appears people are trying to buy Norco tablets on the street, which is a mild painkiller, but instead the tablets are packed with Fentanyl.
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It's also a painkiller but it's 80 times more potent than morphine.
The DEA is trying to track down the source.
This undated photo provided by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office shows fentanyl pills.