Acryl fentanyl, yet another deadly iteration of the powerful opioid fentanyl, has killed 17 people so far this year, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner reported Wednesday.

The state Controlled Substance Board, in reaction to acryl fentanyl deaths in Milwaukee County, announced an emergency rule last month classifying the opioid as a Schedule 1 drug.

The board can schedule a controlled substance analog on an emergency basis when it determines such action "is necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety."

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A Schedule 1 drug is defined by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration as a substance "with no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse."

Fentanyl is a pain medication 50 times more powerful than heroin. It and its analogs,  such as the extremely powerful carfentanil, are used by drug dealers to spike heroin and other drugs.

The medical examiner's office said it is preparing for a record 400 overdose deaths in 2017. That includes a projected 51% increase in fentanyl-related deaths.

So far this year, it said, 144 people have died. Of those, 120 were using opioids. Of those, 58 were using fentanyl.

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