The DEA warns of a new synthetic drug that is 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
The new drug, carfentanil, is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times stronger than fentanyl. It's produced in Mexico, but also comes directly from China, and it is then exported and sold in the U.S.
According to the DEA, police officers and first responders have recently detected the substance carfentanil in an alarmingly increasing number of deaths caused by overdose throughout different regions of the U.S.
“Improper handling of carfentanil, as well as fentanyl and other fentanyl-related compounds, has deadly consequences,” affirms the DEA.
Chuck Rosenber, active head of the DEA, says the drug is surfacing in more and more communities and is often disguised as heroin.
“It is crazy dangerous. Synthetics such as fentanyl and carfentanil can kill you. I hope our first responders – and the public – will read and heed our health and safety warning,” Rosenberg is quoted as saying.
Carfentanil is a substance used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals. The lethal dose range for carfentanil in humans is unknown, but Rosenberg says carfentanil is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which can be lethal at the 2-milligram range, depending on route of administration and other factors.
The drug can come in powder, blotter paper, tablets, and spray, and they can be absorbed through the skin or accidental inhalation of airborne powder and as a result, responding personnel are also at risk.
Therefore, the DEA warns responding personnel to exercise extreme caution when handling any substance suspected to contain fentanyl or a fentanyl-related compound.
“Be aware of any sign of exposure. Symptoms include: respiratory depression or arrest, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, and clammy skin. The onset of these symptoms usually occurs within minutes of exposure,” warns the DEA.
On March 18, 2015, the DEA issued a nationwide alert on fentanyl as a threat to health and public safety. Fentanyl, a synthetic opiate painkiller, is being mixed with heroin to increase its potency, but dealers and buyers may not know exactly what they are selling or ingesting.