PHOENIX – A drug worse than fentanyl is making a comeback, and one of the first lines of defense is in Phoenix.
What they’re saying:
Cheri Oz, the U.S. special agent in charge of the DEA’s Phoenix Field Division, explained that carfentanil is a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than fentanyl. It is smaller and almost impossible to see.
Oz said carfentanil is booming in Arizona with a vengeance right now.
Out of one million carfentanil pills seized in the last year in Arizona, 70% were seized this month alone. The DEA’s mobile labs in Phoenix test pills for carfentanil in real time, which Oz says allows them to “meet the moment” and assess the danger as soon as the pills come in.
Why you should care:
With Phoenix being one of the closest big cities to the Mexico border, Oz said it’s the gateway between deadly drugs and the rest of the country.
“This is not the time to experiment,” Oz said. “If you try a pill, and it has carfentanil, you don’t have a chance. More dangerous, more deadly. We’re going to see a rise in overdoses because people don’t know what they’re taking.”
Oz said the spike in carfentanil worries her as kids head back to school.
She urged parents to talk to their children about the dangers of the drug and recommended having Narcan present, though she noted to always call 911 first.
Crime and Public SafetyOpioid EpidemicNewsPhoenix