Last updated: August 8, 2022
A Deadly Dose
10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 50,000 times stronger than heroin, carfentanil is one of the most potent known opiods. A synthetic drug created as a tranquilizer for elephants and other large animals, it is not intended for use in humans. It can be snorted, dissolved in liquid, or absorbed through the skin. Coming into contact with a single particle of carfentanil—the size of a grain of sand— is enough to cause an immediate overdose in humans.
The substance is so powerful that it takes many more times the amount of overdose reversal drug Narcan to revive victims.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported seizing several cases of carfentanil during drug busts in Atlanta that initially, they mistakenly believed to be pure heroin. Since its discovery, the drug’s extreme toxicity has led to many procedural changes in GBI labs. Forensic chemists must now take multiple precautions to avoid coming into contact with carfentanil, including wearing face masks and protective clothing, and testing any substances thought to be heroin under ventilation hoods. GBI officials are also required to be accompanied by assistants while testing, in case they accidentally come into contact with the drug.
Carfentanil has been blamed for hundreds of overdoses in the Midwest, as well as multiple deaths, over the past month. In parts of Ohio, Indiana, and West Virginia, emergency personnel have been overwhelmed by the wave of overdoses. Cincinnati alone saw 78 in just two days, several of which proved fatal.
The Fentanyl Connection
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the overdose epidemic was caused by the abuse of another synthetic opiod. Carfentanil is similar to fentanyl, a powerful narcotic often used in anesthesia and pain management for cancer victims. In recent years, it’s become a popular practice among dealers to lace heroin pills with fentanyl, which increases the sense of euphoria users feel. However, fentanyl-laced heroin is much more dangerous, carrying a higher risk of overdose and death.
Opiods like fentanyl affect the part of the brain that controls breathing, and a large enough dose may send the user into a coma, or stop their breathing altogether. With carfentanil, this can occur at a much lower dosage, and its effects are immediate.
Because it’s colorless and odorless, carfentanil is impossible to detect without laboratory testing. Heroin users and dealers alike may unwittingly come into contact with the substance, making every dose a game of Russian roulette. Some users may deliberately seek out fentanyl-laced heroin for a stronger effect and receive carfentanil instead; others underestimate carfentanil’s potency and consume it, believing it will lead to a better high.
Preventative Measures
The GBI is unsure of exactly how many carfentanil overdoses have occurred in the state over the past several months, or how widespread the drug’s presence in Georgia may be. Until recently, it wasn’t on the list of drugs commonly tested for during autopsies. Since its discovery in Georgia, this policy has also changed, as officials hope to stop an overdose epidemic before it starts. Finding the drug on Atlanta streets can only mean that more and more Georgians will come into contact with it, putting both heroin users and their loved ones at increased risk.
Perhaps the best method of preventing opiod overdoses is to seek help for those suffering from addiction. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell when a family member, friend, or co-worker is dealing with a drug problem. In the workplace, pre-employment drug testing may be useful to determine if an individual is struggling with addiction. By implementing pre-employment and random drug testing, employers can help those who are dealing with drug dependence, while keeping lethal substances like carfentanil out of the workplace.
