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Heroin addict, Gateway Rehab director warns new batch of heroin can be deadly

PITTSBURGH — People in the Pittsburgh area are talking about a dangerous new batch of heroin that has been linked to several deaths.

"I guess they're trying to make it strong," a heroin addict told Channel 11 reporter Pamela Osborne Monday night.

In just a few short days, 22 people have died in Western Pennsylvania.  Experts said the potentially deadly mix is being marketed under the names Theraflu, Bud Ice and Income Tax.

"I saw a bunch of people were overdosing, and the first thing that clicked in my mind was, 'I want to try it,'" said the addict.

He said he nearly overdosed and had he injected it, he would have died.

"I'm 100 percent sure I would have died," he said.

"What they're doing is putting a chemical in it. It's called fentanyl. It's up to 100 times more potent than morphine," said Dr. Neil Capretto, the medical director at Gateway Rehab.

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