Dangerous opioid 'pinky' to be banned this week

This week, the federal government will place a ban on the dangerous and highly addictive drug, U-47700, known as 'pink' or 'pinky.'

The powerful painkiller didn't get its street name because of its color, but because a lethal dose of the drug can fit on the tip of your pinky. U-47700 is about eight times more powerful than morphine.

Over the course of a year, this drug has killed dozens and sent many more to emergency rooms across the U.S. The drug will not be illegal under federal law until the ban begins on October 7.

"We've seen over 120 fatalities in our case work from coroner's and medical examiners all over the country," Dr. Barry Logan, Chief of Forensic Toxicology at Pennsylvania-based NMS Labs told CBS San Francisco.

The temporary ban will be good for possibly three years, during which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will analyze its potential danger. According to CBS San Francisco, "after a review, a recommendation will be made to either permanently make U-47700 a Schedule 1 substance or if it is found to have a legitimate medical use, to reschedule it."

These photos show the true effects of opioid abuse: