From Seattle station KOMO:
An opioid more deadly than fentanyl found on Seattle streets
Right in the midst of the opioid crisis, another illicit drug has hit the streets of Seattle. Experts say it's more potent and deadly than other opiods.
The DEA says carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl. It was first detected in Seattle in March. Experts insists its usage is "very rare" in the area, but nonetheless, it's surfaced in the city.
The timing couldn't be worse. Two people in Washington state overdose on opioids each day. In King County, at least three teenagers have died from fentanyl overdoses recently.
"I was like, 'Oh crap!' " said Dr. Caleb Banta-Green when he heard that carfentanil was detected in Seattle.
These opioids - fentanyl and carfentynil are not being prescribed by Doctors - that is not the opioid crisis that we have. These are cheap to make and are coming in from overseas - China and North Korea. It is coming in through our port cities as well as through the borders.
I am ambivalent - there are some real personal tragedies but also, many of the fatalities are people who would find some other way to shuffle off this mortal coil if they didn't have these drugs. At least, this will be a painless way to go.
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