Carfentanil found in local case; county warns it’s 100 times stronger than fentanyl
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The El Paso County Coroner's Office warns the community that they have detected carfentanil in a recent case. Officials warn that the opioid is 100 times stronger than fentanyl.
According to El Paso County, this is the first known instance in which the powerful synthetic opioid has been identified without the presence of fentanyl.
"Carfentanil is 100 times stronger than fentanyl, which alone is very dangerous, so we're looking at 10,000 times the strength of morphine when we're looking at carfentanil. So just a very small amount can cause a very severe intoxication," says El Paso County Coroner Dr. Emily Russel-Kinsley.
The county says that carfentanil overdoses may go undetected, due to it not reacting with most immunoassays or fentanyl test strips, which can create a “false negative” result if fentanyl is not present. Officials say only when fentanyl appears alongside carfentanil would test strips show a positive result.
"Normally, the end consumer is not seeking out carfentini specifically. Nor are those who are trafficking at the mid-level drug distributors or...the retail distributors. They might not even know that they're selling carfentanil in these counterfeit pills. They probably think it's fentanyl, but not this," says Special Agent David Olesky from the Rocky Mountain Drug Enforcement Administration.
The county says that symptoms include slowed or stopped breathing, snoring or gurgling sounds, pinpoint pupils, cold or clammy skin, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation and unresponsiveness. Officials say Narcan can be used for an overdose, but a high dose could be required.
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