– A new type of heroin laced with the drug carfentanil is causing overdoses and deaths in neighboring states, and might soon be circulating in Pennsylvania, says an urgent warning issued September 1 by Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy and Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis.
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The drug – carfentanil – is a synthetic opioid that has clinical potency 10,000 times higher than morphine or pure heroin, and 100 times higher than fentanyl. Naloxone has not been studied for its effect on carfentanil overdoses because the powerful opioid was not meant for human consumption. Heroin and opioid overdose are the leading cause of accidental death in Pennsylvania.
Kentucky’s public health commissioner is warning hospitals to stock up on Naloxone and be prepared to beef up their emergency room staffing this holiday weekend because of a possible spike in overdoses from heroin laced with fentanyl.
Carfentanil is one of the most potent opioids in existence. Carfentanil is not only a drug that is taken orally, but can also be absorbed through inhalation or skin contact, according to the Department of Health.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday sent out an “urgent warning” to state residents and first responders about the possibility of laced heroin hitting the streets sometime soon. “First responders are urged to utilize appropriate personal protective equipment when treating known or suspected heroin overdoses”.
Health officials are not sure how effective Naloxone will against the drug, because no studies have been done on it. Naloxone is a life-saving drug used to treat heroin overdoses.
The announcement comes after a suspected 174 overdoses in the Cincinnati area over a six-day period.
“The combination of heroin and carfentanil is extremely unsafe”, Gary Tennis, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs secretary, said in a statement.
“These drugs are much more toxic and can cause respiratory failure and death”, Polk said in a news release. They said even a very small dose can be lethal.
Resources and information on the state’s fight against opioid abuse can be found here.
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