A new CDC report has sounded an urgent alarm on a deadly opioid crisis sweeping across the United States. Carfentanil, a potent derivative of fentanyl, has claimed hundreds of lives in 37 states between January 2021 and June 2024.
The drug, originally designed to tranquilize elephants, is now being used illicitly, posing a significant threat to public health. According to the CDC, as little as 2 milligrams of carfentanil can be lethal, causing slowed breathing, brain damage, or death.
Carfentanil has been linked to seven in 10 drug overdose deaths in the US in 2023, with Florida and West Virginia being the states hardest hit. The CDC report found that the number of overdose deaths attributed to carfentanil has increased by seven-fold over the past year, threatening to reverse a recent decline in overdose rates.
Illicit manufacturers are likely producing carfentanil domestically, using it to make counterfeit pills and mix it with other substances like cocaine or heroin. Dealers often use this tactic to make their products more potent for cheap, driving users to seek more, leading to addiction.
To combat the crisis, healthcare professionals and law enforcement agencies urge anyone exposed to the drug to seek immediate medical attention. Naloxone, an FDA-approved medicated inhaler, can be used to reverse an overdose if administered quickly.
The CDC warns that if carfentanil continues to spread, overdose deaths could substantially increase, putting the public at risk of serious harm or death.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14161455/drug-carfentanil-potent-fentanyl-states-overdose.html