Ohio has seen an increase in carfentanil seizures, according to data from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Attorney General Dave Yost has warned about the risks of synthetic opioids, stating that using non-prescribed drugs can be fatal. In the first nine months of 2024, BCI forensic scientists found carfentanil in 199 items submitted for testing. This is up from nine samples in 2023 and 40 in 2024.
Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid. It is about 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. It is not approved for human use and is mainly used to sedate large animals. The recent increase in carfentanil cases covers 46 Ohio counties. Central and northwestern Ohio have the highest numbers, with more cases now appearing in southern Ohio.
The BCI also identified a new synthetic opioid, N-propionitrile chlorphine (cychlorphine), in Fairfield, Butler County. This compound, which acts like fentanyl, was found at a non-fatal overdose scene. The person needed several doses of Narcan to recover. The substance also contained fentanyl and xylazine, showing that drug mixtures are becoming more complex in Ohio…