Texarkana police issue warning against deadly street drugs ktvz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
It s the largest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period.
While the misuse opioids is often believed to be an urban problem, authorities say its now found its way into smaller communities.
Police say in many cases, people are purchasing the drugs illegally right off the streets.
Earlier this year, officers responded to a Texarkana, Texas neighborhood where three people overdosed after ingesting counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, an extremely powerful opioid.
Texarkana, Texas Officer Shawn Vaughn says a 25-year old woman died and two others were hospitalized. We think they were talking about opioids, oxycontin, something like that. That s what they thought they were buying, but they wound up with something that may look just like it, but it s laced with something else that s quite dangerous and could kill you, Vaughn said.