Medical examiner sends out public warning

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner says carfentanil is in pills disguised to appear as OxyContin.

Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson issued a public health warning July 26 indicating that his office has detected carfentanil in pills that have been disguised to appear as OxyContin.

According to a news release, the drugs were submitted to the Medical Examiner’s office from the Cleveland Police Department, and are being considered as a very serious development that could lead to more overdose deaths.

This situation is alarming, as the potency of carfentanil is substantially greater than the oxycodone found in OxyContin, and there is a serious risk of unintentional overdose in their use,” Gilson said in a statement.

OxyContin is a powerful opioid (Oxycodone) used to treat severe pain. Carfentanil, a large animal sedative, is 5,000 times more potent than Oxycodone, and is unsafe for human use. In 2016, Cuyahoga County had 58 confirmed fatal cases involving carfentanil.

The Medical Examiner’s Office adds that if citizens or anyone that they know is actively using or recovering from opioid addiction, they can contact Project DAWN for information at 216-7785677. Eligible program participants, are given free Naloxone kits — the opioid reversing antidote.