@article{ref1,
title="An outbreak of designer drug--related deaths in Pennsylvania",
journal="JAMA journal of the American Medical Association",
year="1991",
author="Hibbs, J. and Perper, Joshua A. and Winek, C. L.",
volume="265",
number="8",
pages="1011-1013",
abstract="3-Methylfentanyl (&quot;China White&quot;) is a &quot;designer&quot; opiate that has caused more than 100 overdose deaths in California since 1979, but that has not been associated previously with deaths east of the Rocky Mountains. During 1988, 3-methylfentanyl was identified in 16 fatal overdose cases in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, contributing to a fourfold rise in overdose mortality during October of that year. Morphine was detected in the blood of five persons (31%) and cocaine in the blood of three persons (19%) dying of 3-methylfentanyl overdoses; these were demographically similar to 99 other fatal overdose cases investigated by the county coroner from 1986 through 1988. This documents the contribution of 3-methylfentanyl to overdose mortality in an eastern city and the use of 3-methylfentanyl with other illegal drugs. Drug abusers in the northeastern United States should be considered at risk for more &quot;designer drug&quot; overdose outbreaks in the future.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0098-7484",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}