Drug 100 times more potent than fentanyl found locally, Commonwealth’s Attorney says

PERRY COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid and 100 times more powerful than fentanyl. It is also deadly.

”I don’t want people to die. I mean everybody in Eastern Kentucky, and I would say in the United States, has been touched by drug addiction in some way,” said Perry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott Blair.

Blair said was made aware of the drug in the county at a court proceeding late last week.

”One speck the size of one grain of salt can kill a grizzly bear they say,” he added. “It’s used as an animal tranquilizer for elephants and things like that.”

Recreational drugs like marijuana can be laced with Carfentanil. The drug can also be made into pressed pills.

”We had don’t do drugs, because if you do you could get addicted,” he said. “Now it’s don’t try drugs because you’ll die. Not just maybe you’ll die down the line, you’ll die,” Blair added. “It’s not something that is going to happen in time, it is something that is going to happen right then and there especially if you get fentanyl or Carfentanil.”

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports the drug is 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

”I feel like that it’s incumbent upon me to pass along as much as I can to people to save lives,” he said. “To keep us from having to prosecute people.”

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