Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid used in veterinary medicine, has seen a drastic increase in overdose deaths in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carfentanil-related overdose deaths have risen approximately sevenfold since January 2023, with 238 reported cases during the same period. This represents a significant surge, with 37 states reporting carfentanil detection.
The opioid crisis continues to pose a threat, with around 72,000 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2023 – roughly seven out of every ten cases involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMFs). However, provisional data suggests that overdose deaths may be decreasing for the first time since 2018. Despite this positive trend, the rise in carfentanil-related overdoses is a concerning development, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Source: https://boingboing.net/2024/12/06/human-overdoses-on-the-rise-from-rhinoceros-anesthetic-thats-100-times-more-potent-than-fentanyl.html