Bevin Signs Emergency Order Banning Synthetic Drug

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has signed an emergency regulation outlawing a synthetic drug similar to opioid-based prescription painkillers.

The regulation would make the drug U-47700 a Schedule I controlled substance, putting it in the same category as heroin and acetylfentanyl. Bevin, a Republican, said state officials are beginning to see signs of the drug in recent overdose investigations.

The regulation Bevin signed will allow other drugs and synthetics outlawed by the federal government to be automatically added to Kentucky's list of Schedule I substances.

Bevin says drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental deaths in Kentucky, more than car crashes. More than 1,200 people died from overdose deaths in Kentucky last year, a 16 percent increase from 2014.