A new synthetic drug far more lethal than fentanyl has hit the streets.
Carfentanil, which is used to tranquilize elephants, is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, according to Riverside County Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky.
“We actually just saw the first overdose death related to carfentanil for a person that lives within Riverside County,” Dr. Chevinsky told KNX News’ Karen Adams. “We had never seen it before for a county resident, so this is really hitting us close to home.”
Dr. Chevinsky said the drug is being mixed into pills or powder, and there’s no way to test for it.
“Fentanyl strips, we still recommend their use to see whether there’s fentanyl mixed into a drug, but what we understand is that these fentanyl strips do not work to pick up carfentanil,” she said. “So, it’s not a fail-safe, and it’s not 100% there in terms of detecting it.”
She added that a person overdosing on carfentanil may need extra doses of Narcan to reverse its effects. While deaths from carfentanil in the United States are rare, Dr. Chevinsky said there’s been an increase in its usage nationally from 2023 to 2024.
