Officials Warn Of Potent New Synthetic Drug Making Its Way To Long Island
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Officials on Long Island warn of a dangerous drug that's responsible for a spike of deadly overdoses in the Midwest making its way to New York.
It's called carfentanil. Normally used in veterinary medicine to tranquilize wild animals, it's both cheap and extremely addictive.
As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reports, the synthetic opioid is creeping its way into our area.
Former addict Tatiana Green knows all too well the risks the potentially deadly combination of heroin and animal tranquilizer poses.
"I had seen someone overdose and it was definitely not heroin," she said, "it was carfentanil and the person almost died."
Green, of North Massapequa, now provides counsel to current users.
"It's really sad, people are dropping like flies from it," she said. "I'm actually on my way to the hospital right now to help someone who overdosed."
Police say the superhuman drug is becoming cheap, even available online. It's likely manufactured in China, shipped to drug traffickers in Mexico, and smuggled into the states by organized crime.
The potent narcotic first caught the eyes of the nation with the now infamous photos of a man and woman in Ohio passed out in their car with a 4-year-old grandson in the backseat. Police suspect their heroin was laced with carfentanil.
"This is essentially an elephant tranquilizer used on very large animals not very often in this country," Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of the Family and Children's Association tells CBS2. "One of the key concerns is law enforcement and emergency personnel."
First responders are at risk -- even a miniscule amount can be absorbed through the skin and prove fatal. The drug is 10,000 times more powerful than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.
"With carfentanil, if the powder gets on your fingers or if you inhale it you can go into overdose yourself," Nassau Police Lt. Richard LeBrun says. "So our first responders need to prep up, making sure they wear a mask, eye protection, and gloves."
Experts say even the opioid reversal drug known as "narcan" may not be effective to save someone from overdosing on carfentanil.
So what can those who are struggling with addiction do? Green says the answer needs to come from within.
"You need to listen to that inner voice and say 'Okay, I've had enough'," she said. "Get some help from somebody who's been through it before."
Several free training and information sessions for first responders and for families with loved ones affected by substance abuse will be held on Long Island in the coming weeks.
