El Dorado County teen latest victim of counterfeit hydrocodone

An 18-year-old El Dorado Hills resident is the latest victim of a rash of overdoses from pills made to look like the prescription painkiller, Norco.

In Sacramento County, six deaths are attributed to the pills, and the death of county resident George Berry is now the seventh suspected victim. The pills ingested are actually Fentanyl, which is 80 times as potent as morphine and hundreds of times more potent than heroin.

According to the Sacramento Bee, there have been 29 confirmed cases in Sacramento of people becoming sick from the street-bought drug have been reported, including the seven people who have died.

Even though the official cause of death of George has yet to be determined, the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is working with Sacramento County Sheriffs and the Drug Enforcement Administration as all evidence points to the fake hydrocodone.

"It is strongly recommended that anyone who has purchased pills illegally that look like the picture in this story do not use them as they may kill you," the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.

If you have a legal prescription from your doctor for these pills (hydrocodone), they are safe and should only be used as prescribed.