Ohio Attorney General Warns Drug Cases Involving Elephant Tranquilizer on the Rise

Kaitlin Housler

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is urging Ohioans to take caution as Carfentanil, a lethal synthetic opioid, has reemerged in several drug cases across the state.

Carfentanil, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is a synthetic opioid that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which itself is 50 times more potent than heroin. The compound is often mixed in with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or crystal meth.

Carfentanil is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals.

The synthetic opioid can come in several forms including powder, blotter paper, tablets, and spray which can be absorbed through the skin or accidental inhalation of airborne powder, the DEA notes.

Carfentanil was found in the following cases across Ohio during August September, which all remain under investigation:

  • The Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s (BCI) drug chemistry lab confirmed the presence of carfentanil in three separate drug cases submitted from Trumbull County law enforcement agencies in August. In one of the cases, the substance was located at the scene of an overdose.
  • The Central Ohio Major Drug Interdiction Task Force, operating under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC), conducted a drug seizure that took 3 kilograms of carfentanil off Franklin County streets before it could be distributed.
  • The Columbus Division of Police’s drug laboratory analyzed an additional case that involved the fatal overdose of a minor in which carfentanil was identified.

Yost says the recent increase of carfentanil being found in drug cases could “foreshadow a rise in overdoses.”

“Carfentanil is used by veterinarians to tranquilize elephants – this is an extremely powerful opioid that can have devastating effects,” Yost said in a statement. “For an opioid that potent, even a handful of cases is enough to trigger alarms.”

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Ohio Attny Gen Dave Yost” by Atty Gen Dave Yost.

 

 

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