Online drug poses risk to Southeastern Idaho

The Pocatello police department is warning people about a dangerous online drug that has recently shown up in Southeastern Idaho.

The drug is known as U-47700, or U-47 for short, is a synthetic opioid and is easily accessible online.

Police said the drug has been linked to deaths in both Europe and the U.S.

A quick Google search of U-47 would pull up hundreds of results. Lieutenant Paul Manning with Pocatello police said foreign pharmaceutical companies are making these drugs faster than they can be outlawed.

Foreign companies make different compounds of synthetic opioids and then sell them online for a profit.

“Just today on the internet it’s available for $40 a gram from Korea,” Manning said.

Korea is only one example. U-47 can be bought on website after website after website, and all from different companies.

Manning said one of the worst things about U-47 is it’s not currently a controlled substance, meaning it’s legal in Idaho.

“If somebody were to be stopped on the street and suspected of having fentanyl or heroin or something like that and it turns out it’s U-47, they can’t be charged criminally at this point,” Manning said.

U-47 is about five to eight times stronger than morphine. Manning said he wants people to understand just how potent that can be. Manning said the department has seen a few recent opioid overdose deaths in Pocatello.

Pharmacists agree that opioids are a growing problem and awareness is key.

“It’s a growing abuse epidemic in our community,” said Brandon Skoumal, a pharmacist at Shaver’s Pharmacy. “You can overdose pretty easily and so you are seeing an increased amount of deaths because of this.”

Currently Ohio, Georgia and Wyoming are the only three states that have taken action to ban U-47. Manning hopes to see Idaho legislature do the same in the future.

“I think we need to get on board with the other states and try to get this drug outlawed,” Manning said.

Manning said U-47 was never intended for human, or even animal, use. It was intended for research only. He said it’s also hard to test for. It often doesn’t show up on most blood work or lab results.

So Manning said law enforcement’s greatest weapon against it is awareness.

“We’re making the public aware because we think that if people believe it’s not illegal, it must be okay,” he said. “But this is a very dangerous drug.”

Manning said anyone with information pertaining to this drug in the Pocatello area should call police at 208-234-6100.