Trend Alert: Carfentanil

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According to the Ventura County Medical Examiner, illicitly obtained carfentanil contributed to 14 fatal overdoses in Ventura County in 2025. Carfentanil is a novel psychoactive substance (NPS) that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defines as a “synthetic opioid originally developed for veterinary use, more specifically to tranquilize large animals such as elephants. It is extraordinarily potent and not approved for human use. In fact, it is estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl.” Due to its potency, carfentanil can be more lethal than fentanyl at a much lower, even microscopic, doses.

Overdoses can be reversed with naloxone; however, the DEA notes, “Treating an overdose involving carfentanil is extremely difficult. While naloxone is widely used as an emergency antidote for opioid overdoses, it may not be effective against carfentanil in normal doses. Multiple, high doses of naloxone may be required, and even then, effective reversal of an overdose is not guaranteed.”  

Learn more: Carfentanil: A Synthetic Opioid Unlike Any Other

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