Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than fentanyl, has made a deadly resurgence in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report said that carfentanil was detected in 238 overdose deaths during the first half of 2024, up from just 29 in the same period of 2023, representing a 720 percent increase in deaths that were reported across 37 states.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), carfentanil is a white powdery drug that appears similar to cocaine or heroin in looks.
“This drug is so powerful it poses a significant threat to first responders and law enforcement personnel who touch it by accident. In addition, people can overdose on carfentanil quickly. Multiple doses of the anti-overdose drug Narcan may not be effective.”
The DEA said carfentanil is also used to tranquilize elephants and other large mammals.
The CDC has warned that the increasing presence of carfentanil poses a significant risk as it can easily go undetected by users and could likely lead to an increase in overdose deaths.
The CDC’s analysis revealed the average number of deaths with carfentanil detected sharply increased from 3.3 per month from January 2021 to June 2023 to 34.4 per month from July 2023–to June 2024.
Among deaths with carfentanil detected from July 2023 to June 2024, 86.9 percent had illegally manufactured fentanyls (IMFs) co-detected. This high rate of co-detection suggests that carfentanil is often mixed with or sold as fentanyl, potentially without the user’s knowledge.
From January 2023 to June 2024, carfentanil was detected in at least one overdose death in 37 states, with at least 20 deaths reported in eight states, all east of the Mississippi River.
Carfentanil first made its appearance in America’s illicit drug markets in the mid-2010s.
Decrease in Deaths
The recent CDC report said that the overall drug overdose death toll in the United States showed signs of improvement in 2023, representing the first decrease in deaths since 2018.The CDC estimates that approximately 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, with nearly 70 percent of these deaths involving IMFs.
Examining the data, researchers found a slight overall decrease in overdose deaths with IMFs from 2022 to 2023—3.2 percent in the Northeast, 7.8 percent in the Midwest, and 2.8 percent in the South—but the West experienced a sharp increase of 33.9 percent.
In the same report, health officials emphasized the need for robust overdose prevention strategies to adapt to such changes, including the widespread distribution of naloxone—a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses—alongside educational campaigns about the dangers of counterfeit pills and substances containing IMFs.
