Deadly Drug Alert For Carfentanil, An Elephant Tranquilizer

Nassau County has released a deadly drug warning for the synthetic opiod carfentanil, which may be making its way to New York.

Carfentanil is a synthetic drug that is 10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 500 times more powerful than heroin. It's 100 times stronger than fentanyl — another synthetic opiod that has been causing overdoses on Long Island recently. According to the DEA, fentanyl can be fatal in doses as small as 2 milligrams. The average dose of heroin is 30 milligrams.

The drug is sold under the name "Wildnil" but is not intended for human use — it is meant as a tranquilizer for large animals, such as elephants.

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"In the case of carfentanil, both the person overdosing and the rescuer are in danger if they come into contact with this potent drug, as a minuscule amount of the powdery substance — that gets absorbed into the skin or is unwittingly inhaled — can cause overdose or death," said County Executive Edward Mangano. "Anyone attempting to assist a person overdosing on carfentanil is advised to wear protective gloves and a face shield."

Carfentanil can come in many forms — powder, tablets, spray and blotter paper. It can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, causing an overdose in those nearby. Naloxone, the drug that all police and medical officers have that reverses the effects of an opiate overdose, can counteract carfentanil, although the DEA says it may take multiple doses.

Since 2015, fentanyl has been making its way into heroin to increase the potency and get people more addicted. Now law enforcement officials are worried the same could be happening with carfentanil, which has already been linked to overdose deaths in other parts of the country.

"Carfentanil is surfacing in more and more communities," Acting DEA Administrator Chuck Rosenberg said in a 2016 release. "We see it on the streets, often disguised as heroin. It is crazy dangerous. Synthetics such as fentanyl and carfentanil can kill you. I hope our first responders – and the public – will read and heed our health and safety warning. These men and women have remarkably difficult jobs and we need them to be well and healthy."

Photo: DEA