Michigan State Police report increase in fentanyl-laced drugs

The Michigan State Police are reporting an increase in fentanyl-laced drugs in the U.P. in the past three years.

Fentanyl, a potent opioid, is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

The drug is often mixed with other drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, and can be impossible to detect without lab testing.

Michigan State Police Det. 1LT, Robert Pernaski., says fentanyl is responsible for over half of opioid deaths in the country.

"There is no safe way to use illegal drugs. When you're buying them, or are given them by anybody but a licensed professional, you're taking a risk in not knowing the contents of that drug. They can be lethal,” Pernaski said.

Pernaski adds that during a study involving 63 drug samples from the U.P., 21 of them were pure fentanyl disguised to look like heroin or other drugs, and 28 were a mix of heroin and fentanyl.