DEADLY DRUG OUTBREAK NOT FELT IN AREA

Cambria County hasn't seen an outbreak of overdose deaths from a
lethal heroin-fentanyl mixture that has flooded Allegheny County in
the past few days, Coroner Dennis Kwiatkowski said Friday.

Allegheny County authorities are investigating 48 suspected overdoses
- - six of them fatal - since June 3, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported.

Kwiatkowski said his office is awaiting toxicology reports on 10
overdose deaths this year, probably a couple of them from heroin.

There is no indication that any of the Cambria deaths are linked to
the heroin-fentanyl stamped bags coming from the Pittsburgh area, he
said. And Cambria has not been hit with a sudden spurt of deaths in a
short period from the deadly mixture, Kwiatkowski noted.

However, Kwiatkowski added that he has seen deaths in Cambria County
in which fentanyl was mixed with heroin, including four or five in 2005.

Allegheny authorities believe the overdose deaths are connected to
heroin laced with the powerful painkiller fentanyl.

It has been sold on Pittsburgh streets in small bags stamped with
"Get high or die trying" and "Dynasty," reportedly selling for $10 to
$20 apiece.

Cambria County's Drug Task Force has not seen any of the bags on
local streets, Kevin Price, supervisor, said.

"Not yet. We're definitely looking for them. We're concerned because
Pittsburgh is close, and a lot of the individuals we deal with in the
drug trade come from Pittsburgh," Price said.

A mixture of fentanyl and heroin produces such an intense high that
addicts seek it out without regard to whether it might kill them, experts say.

It has spread throughout the nation, and caused at least 100 deaths
from Philadelphia to Chicago in recent months.

Pittsburgh investigators are looking into whether the stamped bags
there were manufactured in Mexico. Early last week, federal
authorities reported that that lab now has been shut.