Carfentanil, the medicine to put elephants to sleep that was found in the adulterated cocaine that killed 24 people in Argentina

The Attorney General of Buenos Aires reported Thursday through a statement that the adulterated cocaine that killed 24 people last week contained carfentanil.

Carfentanil is an “extremely strong” opioid whose effects are 10,000 times more powerfulor more than heroin or fentanyl,” the statement said.

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And it adds that they carried out two independent expert studies on various cocaine samples seized by the Buenos Aires police in the Puerta 8 neighborhood, west of Greater Buenos Aires, from where the drug was distributed.

On the night of February 3, several emergency calls alerted about dozens of people intoxicated after having consumed adulterated cocaine.

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some suffered fainting, cardiac arrest and suffocation and died almost immediately, but dozens of others were treated in hospitals in the capital.

The drug rendered with carfentanil left 24 people dead and dozens injured. (GETTY IMAGES).

The hypothesis that the cause of the overdoses could have been fentanyl (or one of its derivatives mixed with cocaine) arose after some patients react to naloxone, an antidote for opioid poisoning, reported the media Page 12.

After receiving testimonies from survivors of the place where they had acquired the alkaloids, the Argentine justice system ordered a series of raids and arrested several suspects.

What is carfentanil?

According to the page of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), carfentanil is a synthetic opioid approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

It can be fatal with as little as 2 milligrams depending on the route of administration and other factors.

It can come in various forms, including powder, tablets and spray.

I know manufactures in China and distributed through the black market.

The envelopes of the adulterated cocaine were pink and sold for $200 (approx. US$2), according to local police. (MINISTRY OF SECURITY OF BUENOS AIRES).

It is linked to a series of deaths in various countries around the world.

Its presence on US illicit drug markets is of concern as the relative potency of this drug may lead to an increase in overdose deaths.

carfentanil can be lethal even touched therefore, it represents a significant threat to medical personnel who attend emergencies of patients with serious addictions and overdoses.

Legally, it is used to sleep large animals, such as elephants, rhinoceroses and bears.

‘He’s not at the vets’

After the presence of carfentanil was reported, much of the public discussion in Argentina has focused on how it got into the country.

According to information from the newspaper La Nación, carfentanil was included in the list of prohibited substances in Argentina on August 14, 2019.

“It’s not in vets, it’s not in regular use. It’s not like ketamine, which can have human or veterinary use. So there are two alternatives: either it was already introduced in its finished form, illegally, or, taking into account that they had already detected piperidine hydrochloride, that is being processed in some kitchenSergio Saracco, president of the Argentine Toxicology Association (ATA), told La Nación.

One of the houses where cocaine was seized in the Puerta 8 neighborhood, Buenos Aires province. (GETTY IMAGES).

For his part, Carlos Damin, head of Toxicology at Hospital Fernández, told La Nación that carfentanil “is used in countries like Canada, the United States and Mexico as heroin and fentanyl cutting substanceso someone probably could have brought it in small amounts to test, and they did.”

The investigation is still ongoing, authorities said.

The conclusions published this Thursday must still be completed with other results extracted from the autopsies of the victims.

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Source: Elcomercio