A potent fentanyl derivative, carfentanil, has been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths, according to a CDC report. Designed as a tranquilizer for large animals, carfentanil is 10,000 times stronger than morphine and lethal in minute doses. Between 2021 and mid-2024, carfentanil was detected in 513 overdose fatalities, with a sharp rise in late 2023 and early 2024.
Overdose deaths involving carfentanil surged 503% in late 2023, increasing from 29 to 175, and rose another 720% by mid-2024, with 238 deaths reported. While overall overdose deaths have been declining since 2023, carfentanil’s emergence reflects an evolving illegal drug supply.
Illegally manufactured fentanyls (IMFs) remain the primary cause of overdose deaths, making up 70-80% of fatalities in the Northeast, Midwest, and South. In Western states, IMF-related deaths rose from 48.5% in 2021 to 66.5% by 2024.
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