Discovery of Carfentanil and Medetomidine

Overdose deaths linked to a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than fentanyl have more than doubled in New York City, while a new lethal sedative has been detected for the first time in the city’s drug supply. These drugs, carfentanil and medetomidine, have created a significant public health crisis.

Carfentanil: A Lethal Synthetic Opioid

Carfentanil, strong enough to sedate an elephant, has been linked to seven fatal overdoses in NYC up to June 2024. This is more than double the three overdose deaths reported during the same period last year. The New York City Health Department and the Medical Examiner’s office have found eight opioid samples from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan contaminated with carfentanil between March and June.

Law enforcement has seen an increase in carfentanil busts, totaling at least 35 cases between November 2023 and May 2024. The Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan highlighted the deep concern over the presence of carfentanil, given its potency and the significant number of lives fentanyl has already claimed.

Rising Overdose Deaths in NYC

In 2022, over 3,000 people died from fatal overdoses in New York City, with the vast majority due to synthetic opioids, marking a 12% increase from the nearly 2,700 drug-related deaths in 2021. Most carfentanil seizures have occurred in Brooklyn, followed by Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. In almost all cases, carfentanil was mixed with fentanyl and other substances.

Medetomidine: A New Deadly Sedative

City health officials also detected medetomidine in the drug supply for the first time in late June 2024, after testing an opioid sample from the Bronx. Medetomidine, an animal tranquilliser, causes the heart rate to plummet to dangerous levels and has been linked to mass overdose outbreaks in Philadelphia and Chicago and at least three deaths in Michigan. Like xylazine, medetomidine’s effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, which is used to counter fentanyl overdoses.

The Impact on Families and Communities

The introduction of these powerful substances into the drug supply has devastating effects on individuals and their families. Terri Zaccone, from New Port Richey, FL, lost her sons to carfentanil. She emphasised the need for greater awareness and more affordable sober houses and detox programs to combat the crisis.

The Supply Chain and Law Enforcement Response

David Frank, an associate research scientist at New York University, noted that the crisis is not just about overdoses or addiction but about a contaminated and out-of-control drug supply. These substances are often shipped from China and India to Central and South America, where cartels cut narcotics like cocaine and heroin with these drugs. Frank A. Tarentino III, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s New York Division, explained that cartels mix these lethal synthetics to increase addiction and their customer base.

Calls for Action

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) criticised city officials for encouraging addicts to use drugs in “safe spaces” and called for a tougher stance against these dangerous drugs and the dealers. The emergence of carfentanil and medetomidine in the NYC drug supply underscores the need for urgent and coordinated efforts to address this escalating public health crisis.

Source: NY Post