Carfentanil vs Fentanyl: Which Is More Dangerous?

As if the opioid crisis wasn’t already bad enough, a new drug is making its way onto the scene: carfentanil. If that sounds similar to fentanyl, it’s because it is. Both being synthetic opioids, carfentanil’s chemical structure closely resembles its more familiar cousin. And unsurprisingly, both are extremely potent. However, carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl. In this article, we’ll break down the similarities and differences between carfentanil and fentanyl.

What Is Carfentanil?

Carfentanil is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, classified as a fentanyl analog. It is one of the most powerful opioids there is, estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. To put it in perspective, just a thumbnail-sized amount of fentanyl is enough to kill. If you can believe it, 

Carfentanil is primarily designed for veterinary use as a tranquilizer for large animals such as elephants or other wildlife. It’s not approved for human use, as even trace amounts can cause severe respiratory depression, overdose, and death. Despite this, it has emerged in illicit drug markets and is often mixed with other substances like heroin, leading to dangerous and often fatal overdoses.

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. It’s regarded as 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Because of its significant potential for misuse, it is included in Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act. It is also illegally manufactured in labs, meaning the likelihood of drug overdose deaths is much higher due to the lack of oversight from regulatory bodies.

Opioid Abuse Statistics

• According to the Department of Health and Human Services, deaths from synthetic opioids increased 103-fold between 1999 and 2021.
• Nearly 82,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2022, per the CDC.
• Overdose deaths involving carfentanil have surged by more than 700% in a year, with 238 reported deaths in the first half of 2024 compared to 29 in the same period in 2023. Carfentanil’s extreme potency poses significant risks, even in minuscule amounts.
• Globally, approximately 125,000 people died from opioid overdoses in 2019, accounting for about 25% of all drug-related deaths.

Addressing the opioid crisis requires a multifaceted approach, including enhanced access to treatment, public education, and robust policy measures to reduce the prevalence of opioid misuse and its associated harms. Drug overdose deaths, particularly fentanyl overdose, have affected countless families across the country. Prevention and control of opioid abuse and overdose is a key component of treatment.  

The Difference Between Carfentanil vs Fentanyl

Carfentanil and fentanyl are both synthetic opioids, but they differ significantly in potency, usage, and danger. Carfentanil is far more potent, approximately a hundred times more than fentanyl. This extreme potency means that even minute amounts of carfentanil can be lethal to humans, with potential fatalities from quantities as small as a few grains.

Another major difference is application. Fentanyl has legitimate medical applications, primarily used for managing severe pain in controlled medical settings, like after surgery or for chronic pain management in cancer patients. It’s available in various forms, such as patches, lollipops, or injections.

By contrast, carfentanil has no approved medical use in humans. It’s used exclusively as a tranquilizer for large animals like elephants due to its extreme potency.