Authorities in Butler County are warning first responders to be extremely cautious when responding to drug overdoses because of the possible presence of a powerful opioid called Carfentanil.
Chief Mark Pfeffer of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office said responders were first warned of Carfentanil- which is an elephant tranquilizer- last year when officials in Cleveland linked the drug to several deaths. And then, earlier this week, officials in Beaver County confirmed Carfentanil was linked to two fatal overdoses, which are thought to be the first lives claimed by the drug here in Pennsylvania.
Pfeffer says first responders are continuing to be briefed on how to handle the drug, with the latest information going out Tuesday.
“There has been a continuing stream of information about the effects of it and how to handle it safely, and basically how to not handle it,” Pfeffer said Tuesday.
Of particular concern is accidental exposure. Carfentanil can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Pfeffer says first responders are reminded that part of the reason the overdose-reversal anecdote Nalaxone is available is to treat an accidental overdose by a first responder due to cross-contamination.
“They (first responders) might need treatment for themselves and not just for the people that are overdosing,” he said.
Carfentanil is considered 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. The drug can be mixed with heroin to stretch supplies or to make heroin stronger.
