Drug Used to Tranquilize Elephants Appearing on Black Market in Massachusetts

NEW BEDFORD - A drug stronger than fentanyl has stormed onto the scene in Massachusetts. State Police recently revealed they have discovered three samples of carfentanil in drug samples taken from Brockton and Quincy.

The synthetic drug is professionally used as a tranquilizer for large mammals such as elephants and rhinoceri.

Carl Alves, director of Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction, tells WBSM News the drug is becoming more popular on the black market because of it's powerful effect and it's financial advantages for those selling it. "The unfortunate situation is that it's 100 times more powerful than fentanyl," says Alves. "And that, in and of itself, leads to the economic benefit from a drug dealer's standpoint because you need that much less of the material to get the desired result."

Alves adds that as carfentanil continues to gain traction in the drug community, it will become increasingly difficult to bring victims out of an overdose state.

"So we're going to need to do more Narcan to bring people around. The sad thing is that this is such a fast-acting drug that the drug can take a person's life almost instantaneously."

Alves says increased community awareness and intervention, especially from families of addicts, is going to make the difference in combatting the new strain.

Alves notes that drug overdoses have recently claimed the number one spot in cause of death of people under 50.