View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]

Your source for the latest news in drug policy. Visit our website ([link removed]) for more news.

This is The Drug Report’s ([link removed]) Friday Fact report - The CDC warns of a drug 100 times stronger than fentanyl

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report ([link removed]) that warned that carfentanil has “reemerged in the U.S. drug supply.” Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.


Between the periods of January–June 2023 and January–June 2024, the number of overdose deaths that involved carfentanil increased more than eightfold, from 29 to 238. Overdose deaths that involved carfentanil were detected in 37 states.


The CDC said that the carfentanil-involved overdoses “highlight the ever-changing illegal drug supply and threaten progress in reducing overdose deaths.” This development comes as non-opioids like xylazine are also being increasingly mixed into the drug supply.


Though the number of overdose deaths has begun to decline nationwide, the CDC’s report noted, “overdose deaths could substantially increase if carfentanil further infiltrates the drug supply, as evidenced by previous outbreaks.” The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a warning ([link removed]) about carfentanil in 2016.


The Indiana Department of Human Services said carfentanil “is often mixed in with other drugs ([link removed]) such as heroin, cocaine or crystal meth — and often drug users have no idea their drugs have been tainted.” The Virginia Department of Health reminded residents that “carfentanil can resemble powdered cocaine or heroin ([link removed]) .”


A 2018 report ([link removed]) from the CDC said carfentanil is “the most potent fentanyl analog detected in the United States.”
Received this email from a friend? Sign up here! ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]

Follow SAM on Social Media:
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

Follow FDPS on Social Media:
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

The Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions ([link removed]) (FDPS) is a national drug policy think/action tank whose vision is a world in which children and families thrive, substance use is prevented, and there is rapid access to quality treatment. From prevention and recovery to smart law enforcement and better international cooperation, we are working to change the face of drug policy. Too many people are losing their lives to addiction. It is time for big change.

Copyright (C) 2024 Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM). All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
Our mailing address is:
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
107 S West St. Ste. 757
Alexandria, VA 22314
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe ([link removed])

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) . 107 S West St. Ste. 757 . Alexandria, VA 22314 . USA