1st Santa Clara County overdose death of carfentanil, 100x more potent than fentanyl

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FILE-People opposed to the sale of illegal drugs on Snapchat participate in a rally outside the company's headquarters to call for tighter restrictions on the popular social media app following fatal overdoses of the powerful opioid fentanyl in Santa

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SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. - The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the county's first overdose death from carfentanil, an opioid approximately 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl.

County health officials identified the victim as a 39-year-old man who was found dead with counterfeit M30 pills made to look like prescription oxycodone.

What is carfentanil?

Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid that is not approved for human consumption-far more potent than fentanyl and morphine.

Officials are sounding the alarm to the public, advising people that most opioid pills on the street are fake and made to look like legitimate prescription medication.

What they're saying:

"Using drugs alone increases the risk of death. We urge people to avoid the dangers of opioids, especially fake pills that may contain carfentanil or fentanyl," said Dr. Michelle Jorden, a neuropathologist and the county's chief medical examiner.

"Fake pills look real, but they can be deadly. People should not take any pill that they did not buy from the pharmacy," she said.

The county's Board of Supervisors declared a public health crisis around mental health and substance use in 2022.

The Behavioral Health Services Department is teaming up with other county-led programs and community partners to expand treatment options for people fighting substance-use disorders, according to Dr. Cheryl Ho, the behavioral health medical director for Substance Use Treatment Services (SUTS) and the County of Santa Clara.

"If anyone you know is struggling, please reach out. Help is available -- and act now: treatment is available," said Ho.

Added Dr. Akanksha Vaidya, "We believe that every life matters and no one should die of an overdose. That’s why we offer evidence-based harm reduction services proven to reduce the risks of overdose and disease for people at any stage of use or recovery."

Vaidya serves as the assistant health officer for Santa Clara County's Harm Reduction Program.

"We reach the community with tools like the overdose-reversing medication naloxone, drug test strips, and help getting into treatment when someone is ready," Vaidya said.

Dig deeper:

Naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, can reverse an overdose and should always be administered in the event of a potential opioid overdose, officials said.

Other harm-reduction strategies include using fentanyl test strips.

Anyone Santa Clara County resident 18 or older can receive free naloxone through the mail through the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project.

For more information about the project or treatment services, call (408) 272-6055 or email sccoopp@hhs.sccgov.org. You can also visit their website here.