First Carfentanil Overdose Deaths Confirmed In Montgomery County

NORRISTOWN, PA — The first overdose deaths from carfentanil, which was developed as an elephant tranquilizer, have been confirmed in Montgomery County, health officials said on Friday.

Carfentanil is an opioid which experts believe to be 10,000 times deadlier than heroin and 100 times deadlier than fentanyl, a chemically similar drug.

The first death occurred on June 10, county health officials said, when a 43-year-old man was found dead in his Lower Merion home. Toxicology reports revealed that he had died from a carfentanil overdose.

The second death occurred on June 14, when a 65-year-old Philadelphia man was taken to Lankenau Hospital, where he died from carfentanil overdose. the same day, health officials said.

Both men had a history of heroin abuse.

Individuals who overdose on carfentanil require "multiple" doses of naloxone, an opioid reversal drug, to stand a chance of surviving. While these are the first deaths reported in Montgomery County, the drug has caused deaths in Pennsylvania; and, recently, in Philadelphia.

“The emergence of carfentanil fatalities is further evidence that the county’s efforts to provide residents access to treatment and first responders access to naloxone is critical in fighting the opioid
epidemic bracing the region,” said Val Arkoosh, Chairwoman, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, in a statement. “The Montgomery County Overdose Taskforce is fully engaged in educating the public about all aspects of substance use disorder, increasing awareness of extremely dangerous opioids like carfentanil, and providing resources for those in need."

High doses of fentanyl and carfentanil also pose a risk to first responders, who must wear fully encapsulated hazmat suits before approaching victims. This is in accordance with federal guidelines.

Only a tiny amount of carfentanil can be deadly. The equivalent of roughly one grain of salt of carfentanil is enough to kill a human.

Patch file photo