3 Marylanders Die From Carfentanil Overdoses

Three Marylanders are dead after apparent drug overdoses from the synthetic opioid carfentanil.

Of the three cases this month, two of the individuals were in Anne Arundel County and the other was in Frederick County.

The Opioid Operational Command Center is raising the awareness of carfentanil in Maryland.

Anne Arundel County police said that while their fatal statistics are down over the past year, the overdose numbers are up in the county.

Police said the contributing factor is the way police are responding to calls as a priority one with lights and sirens, and sometimes officers are the ones administering narcan, and emergency treatment for known or suspected opioid overdose.

But police said carfentanil, which is 50 times deadlier than heroin, is now on their radar.

"It raises some concern here in the county. (There have) only been two (deaths), but it certainly raises a red flag. Carfentanil is very dangerous. It's 100 times more potent than Fentanyl, so it's just another stake in the heart with the fight, and we're trying to fight it here in the county," Anne Arundel County police Lt. Ryan Frashure said.

It is also a major concern for local health officials.

"So this is a medication that was developed back in the 1970s that is so potent that it's really only reserved for very large mammals like elephants," Dr. Jinlene Chan, Anne Arundel County health officer, said. "This is very concerning that it's here, we don't know how much of it is out there and who's using it and how they're getting it.

"When I said that carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl we're talking about granules, just a couple of grains of the drug itself could cause death."

Frashure said the county's "Safe Stations" program was just announced.The program allows for people with addictions to go to any fire or police station in the county at any time of day and seek help for resources no questions asked.