Opioid epidemic’s newest killer is 10,000 times stronger than morphine
An extremely powerful drug used as an elephant tranquilizer has quickly become a new killer in the nation’s opioid epidemic, and New England authorities and health workers are bracing for its arrival.
The drug, carfentanil, is a synthetic opioid that is 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, another deadly synthetic opioid. The emergence of a new, even more powerful drug would present a fresh challenge to local officials already battling a raging crisis.
So far, carfentanil’s reach has been confined primarily to the Midwest, particularly Ohio, but New England officials said the aggressive demand for illicit opioids means carfentanil could surface here soon.
“I’m afraid that these things tend to spread,” said Dr. Marc Larochelle, a physician and researcher at Boston Medical Center.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a nationwide alert about the drug, which its acting chief called “crazy dangerous.” In Massachusetts, State Police have warned their crime lab staff about how to handle carfentanil during analysis. Even inhaling the drug or absorbing it through a cut can be fatal.
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