The drug that killed Prince: Is it seeping into Cumbria?

Prescription painkiller Fentanyl has already killed around 60 drug users in the country so far this year prompting a national inquiry into its spread within the underground world of drug dealing and trafficking.

Now, information acquired by The News and Star shows the narcotic - which is 50 times more powerful than heroin - shows it is beginning to seep into Cumbria where it has been responsible for three overdoses in the county in the last two years.
One of these is understood to have led to the 2016 death of 28-year-old Zoe Rigg, from Barrow, who was found to have taken a fatal amount of the painkiller while staying as a mental health patient at the Dova Unit.

It is still unknown how Ms Rigg acquired the strictly controlled opioid.

Information on crimes linked to Fentanyl on the database of Cumbria police reveals the substance was found at a property in the county following a search by police while the county's force also recorded a separate report of its illegal use.

And an investigation was launched after 65 patches of varying strengths were stolen during a burglary at Boots Chemist in Barrow in December.

The incidents all took place between October 2015 and September this year.

But Detective superintendent Dean Holden, of Cumbria Constabulary, said the force carefully and continually monitored intelligence on the substance to make sure its use does not spread across the county.

"It's definitely on our radar," he told the News and Star.

"But it's not a specific problem in Cumbria.

"Fentanyl is one of our specific intelligence requirements, particularly within the county lines operation - which targets the supply of drugs into Cumbria from other areas.

"It's something we are proactive about monitoring because of the safety implications not just for users but also for officers who attend a scene where it may be present.

"We are also working with the coroner to make sure that where we have a drugs death, there is specific forensic testing for Fentanyl because it is otherwise hard to detect."

Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller prescribed to cancer patients and to those who need to control extreme pain.

Its analogue component carfentanil is so strong it is used to sedate zoo animals such as elephants.

An amount the size of a pin head can kill someone if used incorrectly.

It hit the headlines last year when it was found to have been behind the death of 57-year-old Prince in April last year.
Prince. Photo: Tim Whitby/PA Wire

The musician, responsible for global hits like Purple Rain and Raspberry Beret, was found dead at his home in the United States having accidentally overdosed on the drug.

An influx of Fentanyl into the UK earlier this year sparked a series of deaths among heroin users in North Yorkshire and the North East - prompting neighbouring police forces such as Cumbria to issue a stark warning to anyone who should come into contact with it.

The National Crime Agency also took the unusual step of releasing a report on its arrival in the UK and the potential for great harm among people who use drugs illegally.

Tony Saggers, the NCA's head of drugs threat and intelligence, said: "Fentanyl is responsible for hundreds of deaths in North America, although until very recently has been extremely rare in the UK."

Fentanyl - the drug more deadly than heroin

- Fentanyl is a prescription painkiller given to cancer patients or those with extreme pain

- For safety, it is usually dispensed as a patch placed upon the skin to limit the chance of an accidental overdose

- However, traces of the drug have been found mixed with heroin in the north of England this year

- So far, around 60 people have died after taking it in the UK in 2017

- It is extremely addictive and 50 times stronger than heroin

- It is responsible for a deaths epidemic in the US, where it caused 20,100 deaths in 2016, a rise of 540 per cent over the past 3 years

Who was Prince?

- Prince, whose full name was Prince Rogers Nelson, was a globally-known musician.

- He was responsible for hits like Purple Rain, Raspberry Beret, Little Red Corvette and 1999 during his 36 year career.

- His contemporaries were Madonna, Michael Jackson and George Michael.

- He was found dead at his home and music studio in Minnesota, America, on April 21, 2016, aged 57.

- The cause of death was an accidental overdose of Fentanyl.

- Hundreds of tablets containing the drug were reportedly found at his home afterwards, though they were labelled as something else.

- It is not known whether Prince knew the substance he was taking was the danger drug Fentanyl.