New drug 100 times stronger than heroin kills 10 in 12 days

In the past 12 days 10 people have died after taking tablets containing the narcotic – called fentanyl.

The drug – also known as TNT, Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, goodfella, jackpot, murder 8 and Tango and Cash – is meant for cancer patients in severe pain but is being taken by dope heads looking a new, bigger hit.

Several American states have reported a huge spike in TNT deaths.

The killer drug has been blamed for two thirds of OD 420 deaths in New Hampshire alone.

Dad-of-three Jerome Butler, 28, of Sacramento, California, died after he took a pill laced with TNT.

His mum Natasha said: "It shut down his organs.

"It shut down his kidneys.

"It shut down his liver.

"His brain was swollen.

"The doctor said he said there was nothing he could do for him – from one pill."

Most people taking – and being killed by – TNT are heroin users.

TNT – which is being made by amateur drug pushers in illicit Breaking Bad-style "labs" – is between 20 and 100 times stronger than scag.

It is often cut with heroin to make it more potent.

But seizures and deaths caused by the new mix have increased over the past three years to epidemic levels.

The outbreak has been compared to the rising use of the drug flakka – which causes people to strip naked – and bath salts – which turns people into "demonic zombies".

British drug advisory service FRANK says: "As some synthetic opioids are more potent than natural opioids they can be effective at very small doses – which can make it easier to take too much.

"There is a greater risk of overdose and death if you mix synthetic opioids with other drugs that suppress breathing such as alcohol, benzodiazepines – like diazepam or Valium – and/or other opiate drugs – like heroin)."

(dailystar.co.uk)