Warning for WA state communities, law enforcement about toxic drug Fentanyl

On the heels of Kennewick police investigating a drug related case where Fentanyl is possibly involved, the DEA is warning the community to be aware of how deadly the drug is.

Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Tracy Simmons who covers eastern Washington says Fentanyl is a problem across the country and has been found in Washington state.

"We are not necessarily, here in Eastern Washington, ready to say we've seen an increase in heroin overdoses or that we've seen Fentanyl-laced Heroin yet, we haven't come across a case like that, we're hoping not to see that, because it is so dangerous," says Simmons.

Officials say the drug is 50 times stronger than street-heroin and a small dose is lethal. Simmons says the community needs to be educated about the drug saying, "it is so powerful, it's scary."

He says next year the DEA plans to partner with schools to educate teens about the drug. He says they are also using narcan, which is essentially a "antidote" for a potential overdose which could save a person or possibly a police officer who comes into contact with the drug, which can be absorbed through the skin.