DETROIT – The DEA is issuing a warning about an uptick in deaths caused by Carfentanil in the Detroit region.
If fentanyl wasn’t bad enough, Carfentanil is about 100x more potent. That’s why the DEA is making sure you’re well aware.
Brian McNeal with the Detroit Field Division of the DEA says it doesn’t take much car fentanyl at all to kill you.
“With this thing in micrograms, .002, can be a fatal dosage. So the end user might be seeking what they think is an oxycodone or hydrocodone, and they end up getting fentanyl or Carfentanil, and then they’re poisoned and die,” says Brian McNeal with the Detroit Field Division of the DEA.
Carfentanil made it to the Detroit region between 2016 and 17, disappeared for some time, but is now starting to re-emerge, so much so that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has issued a warning, letting people know that multiple people are starting to die from the drug.
Just last year, the DEA seized 12.4 kilograms of Carfentanil in the Detroit region alone.
“To put that in perspective, that’s enough to provide a deadly dosage, properly distributed to everyone in North America,” McNeal said.
Some victims are not even aware of what they may be putting into their bodies.
Additionally, in some cases, Narcan may not take effect immediately.
“The problem is, with this being such a powerful opioid, Narcan, they may need two, three, four, five hits of Narcan,” McNeal said.
Given the risks, it’s not wise to take chances at all.
“You know, 30 years ago, you could have a 20, 30, 40-year addiction. You can’t do that now, the odds are just stacked against you with these synthetic opioids that you’re going to stumble across something that is lethal,” McNeal said.
For anyone addicted to counterfeit drugs, resources are available, hopefully before coming across something like fentanyl or Carfentanil.