Florida attorney general bans dangerous synthetic drug

Pam Bondi: Eight deaths in Florida attributed to U-47770

Pam Bondi.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi signed an emergency order on Tuesday to ban U-47700.

She said the synthetic drug, which is advertised as being 7.5 times stronger than morphine, has already been attributed to eight deaths here in the State -- five in Pinellas County and three in Bay County.

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"Something that's so frightening is that it can also be in the form of a nasal spray and think of the immediate effect if you use a nasal inhaler," said Bondi. "The main way we have been seeing it thus far in Florida is through pills."

She said the synthetic drug is being produced in Asia and then smuggled illegally into the U.S. through Canada and Mexico. She said they're also seeing it pop up for sale online.

"We went on the internet and it's sold out, by the way. It's $39, this junk that's killing people, and that's what dealers are doing," Bondi said.

Now that it's banned in Florida, anyone caught with the synthetic drug can face a felony charge and if convicted, could serve up to five years in prison.