It’s the strongest drug ever to hit the streets of Columbus. A synthetic opioid that the DEA says is 100 times more powerful than Fentanyl and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. It’s used to tranquilize elephants and other large animals. On July 10, 11 drug users overdosed from it in Columbus. Two of them died.
In a news release issued that day, Columbus Police only said, “Individuals that use heroin should be advised that there could be highly potent and dangerous units circulating in the Central Ohio area. All individuals in possession of heroin should destroy the units immediately.”
Two days later, on July 12 however, after the police crime lab determined it was the killer drug Carfentanil, police officials and Columbus Public Health decided to not alert the public to its name. In a series of email communications obtained by 10 Investigates, we discovered that City Health Commissioner Dr. Theresa Long said she was “mixed” about sharing the information with the public. Deputy Police Chief Richard Bash replied, “I do not want to share publicly at this point.” Dr. Long said, “Me either and I will not!”
When asked about her decision, Dr. Long told 10 Investigates, “I think it’s always a balancing act and I would be very honest to say the words matter in this case. My fear was not coming from the police,” said Long. “They have an investigation. My fear was about sending people to a very potent drug that in fact they might choose to seek out because of the potency.”
Other health departments around Ohio took a different approach. When Carfentanil was discovered in heroin sold in Hamilton County, the county’s health commissioner issued an alert to the public, “Carfentanil, a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic meant for use in large animals, has been discovered in local supplies of heroin.” Hamilton County Health Commissioner Tim Ingram said, “We issued a public alert to emergency departments and nurses, first responders and clinical staff working with substance abusers and it is crucial that we get this message out to everyone who is in contact with heroin users in our area.”
Columbus Deputy Police Chief Bash said he feared naming the drug would make drug addicts start searching for it. “I don’t know that naming it is going to make the community any safer. Getting the information out that it’s dangerous will make the community safer,” Bash said. “I’ve spoken with a number of addicts, and I do know they’re always looking for that next, more potent high, so my experience tells me that an addict wants more and more and more and that’s very much what I was scared of. I just didn’t want to create an additional market for a very dangerous drug,” Bash said.
The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration says Carfentanil – is being brought into the United States mainly from China where it’s currently not listed as a controlled substance by the Chinese government. The alleged drug dealer accused of selling the drug in Columbus, 36-year-old Rayshon Alexanders, faces numerous charges including two murder indictments for the deaths of two men who overdosed on it.
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