\u201cEven by fentanyl standards, carfentanil is extraordinarily lethal,\u201d said Andrae Bailey, founder and CEO of Project Overdose. \u201cThe data show it\u2019s circulating again in the Orlando area, and it\u2019s probably not confined to opioids.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although it\u2019s unclear which drugs carfentanil is specifically being mixed into, Bailey told Orlando Weekly that it\u2019s most likely to be mixed into cocaine, meth, or counterfeit pills and powders sold to partygoers as MDMA or prescription painkillers. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, just 0.2 milligrams<\/a> of carfentanil can be lethal. \u201cA single dose can end a life in seconds,\u201d Bailey warned.<\/p>\n Although drug overdose deaths last year declined<\/a> in Florida and across the U.S., powerful fentanyl analogs like carfentanil have remained at the center of the nation\u2019s overdose crisis.<\/p>\n According to provisional data, Florida saw 5,364 overdose deaths in 2024, down from 8,227 fatal overdoses in 2020. Nationwide, more than 82,000 people<\/a> died of fatal drug overdose last year, down from over 107,000 U.S. overdose deaths in 2022.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all about harm reduction and trying to keep people safe,\u201d said Bailey, adding, \u201cWe\u2019re kidding ourselves if we think that there\u2019s not going to be drugs at EDC.\u201d <\/p>\n Nonetheless, he said, \u201cWe think they [EDC attendees] should know that there\u2019s a wave just recently of incredibly dangerous carfentanil, and that people need to be more alert than ever.\u201d If you\u2019re taking drugs and you\u2019re not sure what\u2019s in them, \u201cyou could be risking your life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople need to be more alert than ever\u201d <\/p>\n Andrae Bailey, CEO and founder of Project Overdose<\/p>\n Dr. Kendall Cortelyou, a global health management professor at the University of Central Florida and national data director for Project Overdose, said prevention and preparedness \u201ccould save lives this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n Orlando\u2019s three-day EDC, running from Nov. 7 to Nov. 9, is expected to welcome an anticipated 300,000 attendees<\/a> at Tinker Field outside Camping World Stadium. The electronic music festival is known for its party culture, and although it has a stated zero-tolerance policy for drug use or paraphernalia, there\u2019s little doubt in Bailey\u2019s mind that drugs will be present.<\/p>\n Orange County\u2019s Emergency Medical Services, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and the fire department, says first responders are \u201cfully prepared\u201d to attend to urgent medical needs this weekend, in light of prospective dangers.<\/p>\n \u201cThis event is something we\u2019re ready for every year,\u201d Dr. Christian Zuver, medical director for Orange County\u2019s EMS System, said in a statement. \u201cOMD and the city of Orlando works closely with our local hospital systems to maintain consistent communication and functionality, ensuring all first responders and medical professionals are ready for any situation.\u201d<\/p>\n A county spokesperson confirmed that several vendors at EDC will have Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication, to hand out to attendees. There will also be educational materials available to demonstrate how to administer Narcan (a brand name for naloxone, an opioid antagonist) in the event of a suspected overdose.<\/p>\n Signs of an overdose involving carfentanil can include<\/a> slowed or stopped breathing, loss of consciousness, gurgling noises, clammy skin, pinpoint pupils, and disorientation.<\/p>\n Fentanyl test strips, a tool recently legalized in Florida that can be used for detecting the synthetic opioid fentanyl in drugs, can \u201csometimes\u201d detect its stronger analog carfentanil, too, said Bailey. However, \u201cFentanyl test strips are very hit or miss,\u201d he admitted, especially if you\u2019re trying to test a pill rather than a powdered substance.<\/p>\n Carfentanil has reportedly been detected in at least 37 states, according to the DEA, although Bailey said the drug \u201chas been pretty rare over the years in Central Florida.\u201d To see it moving back into the community is \u201cdefinitely\u201d cause for alarm, he said.<\/p>\n The drug was specifically detected by Project Overdose through a new drug tracking system the nonprofit launched last week<\/a>, powered by artificial intelligence. The system gathers information about drugs in the community, down to the zip code, through anonymized urine tests (i.e. there\u2019s no personal, identifiable information attached).<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t just speculation. It\u2019s based on real laboratory data,\u201d said Dr. Cortelyou.<\/p>\n Dr. Zuver, with Orange County EMS, said that since the event is within city of Orlando limits, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics with the Orlando Fire Department \u201cwill be on site to provide immediate medical care.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe event promoter will staff a field emergency department with advanced capabilities, and OMD physicians will be present throughout the weekend with access to additional medications and advanced airway management tools,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0Bluesky<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tGet your soundproof bunker ready, fragile Nextdoor users\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t
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