FT Raman an invaluable addition to the forensic arsenal to combat the opioid epidemic APPLICATION NOTE AN 52304
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is becoming a major driver of opioid overdose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illegal, lab made fentanyl was involved in more than 50% of opioid overdose deaths in 2016.1 The growing opioid epidemic presents multifaceted challenges for law enforcement, first responders, and forensic lab personnel. In particular, the high potency of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues makes accidental exposure life threatening, with ingestion, inhalation, and absorption through the skin as possible exposure routes. With a lethal dose of only a few milligrams, fentanyl is considered 50 100 times more potent than morphine. Carfentanil, a fentanyl analogue, is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Consequently, the CDC has issued a health alert on the rise of unintentional overdoses of clandestinely produced and trafficked fentanyl in the form of counterfeit pills and heroin adulterants.1 2 The situation is further exacerbated by the waves of new synthetic opiates. Through chemical modification, new potent fentanyl analogues are created at a fast pace in underground labs, keeping authorities constantly on their toes to identify these emerging chemical entities and to understand their pharmacology and toxicology.