Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
IRONWOOD — The Michigan State Police’s Wakefield Post will be holding a pair of presentations on the dangers of illegal drugs, such as heroin and carfentanil — providing not only an opportunity to learn about the opiate epidemic that is often in the news but also provide answers to questions people may have.
The first presentation is scheduled for Friday, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Ontonagon Area High School’s cafeteria.
The second is scheduled for Monday, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in rooms T112-113 of the technical building — above the cosmetology lab — at Gogebic Community College.
In addition to MSP troopers from the Wakefield post, Community Service Trooper Jerry Mazurek said other area law enforcement and ambulance personnel have been invited to give input during both presentations.
“This is an educational presentation to let the public know the dangers of heroin/carfentanil and other drugs that they may hear about in the news, but they will (also) get an opportunity to ... ask questions, face to face.”
While heroin abuse has been in the news for several years now, law enforcement agencies are seeing an increase in the use of carfentanil — either mixed with heroin or as a stand-alone drug.
According to Mazurek, carfentanil’s danger comes from its potency, being 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
A Drug Enforcement Agency warning on the increased use of the drug, issued in September, warned carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl — which itself is 50 times more potent than heroin.
Carfentanil is surfacing in more and more communities.” said DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg. “We see it on the streets, often disguised as heroin. It is crazy dangerous. Synthetics such as fentanyl and carfentanil can kill you. I hope our first responders — and the public — will read and heed our health and safety warning. These men and women have remarkably difficult jobs and we need them to be well and healthy.”
Carfentanil is a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act and is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals. The lethal dose range for carfentanil in humans is unknown. However, as noted, carfentanil is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which can be lethal at the 2-milligram range, depending on route of administration and other factors.
Mazurek said adverse health effects; like coughing, disorientation, cardiac arrest and death can occur immediately when using these drugs. He said anyone using these drugs, or knows someone who is, can call 1-800-662-HELP for assistance.
—Richard Jenkins
