CDC Reports Sevenfold Increase in Carfentanil-Related Deaths in Just One Year
Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, poses a significant risk to first responders and law enforcement officers who may inadvertently come into contact with it.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carfentanil has seen a alarming resurgence in the United States.
Specifically, the report indicated that carfentanil was involved in 238 overdose fatalities in the first half of 2024, a significant rise from just 29 during the same timeframe in 2023, marking a staggering 720 percent increase across 37 states.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describes carfentanil as a white, powdery substance that resembles cocaine or heroin.
“The extreme potency of this drug presents a serious danger to first responders and law enforcement personnel who might accidentally touch it. Furthermore, individuals can experience rapid overdoses from carfentanil, and multiple doses of the anti-overdose drug Narcan may prove ineffective.”
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The DEA also highlights that carfentanil is utilized for tranquilizing elephants and other large animals.
The CDC has issued warnings concerning the growing presence of carfentanil, emphasizing the danger it presents as it can be undetected by users, potentially leading to a rise in overdose incidents.
Analysis by the CDC highlighted a sharp increase in monthly carfentanil-related deaths, skyrocketing from an average of 3.3 per month from January 2021 to June 2023 to 34.4 per month from July 2023 to June 2024.
Among the fatalities involving carfentanil from July 2023 to June 2024, 86.9 percent also had illegally manufactured fentanyls (IMFs) detected. This suggests a high likelihood that carfentanil is frequently mixed with or sold as fentanyl without the user’s knowledge.
From January 2023 to June 2024, carfentanil was identified in at least one overdose death across 37 states, with at least 20 reported deaths in eight states, all located east of the Mississippi River.
Carfentanil emerged in the illicit drug markets of America during the mid-2010s.
Decrease in Deaths
The latest CDC report suggests that the overall drug overdose death toll in the United States showed signs of improvement in 2023, marking the first decrease in deaths since 2018.
The CDC estimates indicate that approximately 72,000 Americans succumbed to drug overdoses in 2023, with nearly 70 percent of these fatalities involving IMFs.
Upon reviewing the data, researchers noted a slight overall reduction in overdose deaths involving IMFs from 2022 to 2023—3.2 percent in the Northeast, 7.8 percent in the Midwest, and 2.8 percent in the South—while the West encountered a sharp increase of 33.9 percent.
Health officials reiterated the necessity for comprehensive overdose prevention strategies to address such shifts, advocating for the widespread distribution of naloxone—a vital medication that can reverse opioid overdoses—alongside educational efforts concerning the dangers posed by counterfeit pills and substances containing IMFs.
