In Response to NYC Health Report “Carfentanil and Medetomidine in the NYC Drug Supply,” Rep. Ritchie Torres Pushes DEA and CDC for Clarity and Answers

According to a report last month from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (attached to this email), “carfentanil, a potent synthetic opioid that is estimated to be up to 100 times stronger than fentanyl, has been identified in New York City multiple recent samples sold as opioids. Similarly, medetomidine, a non-opioid anesthetic similar to xylazine, has also been identified in the NYC drug supply, specifically in the Bronx, for the first time.”

In response to these findings, Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15) wrote to both the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeking clarity and answers.

The letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram reads:

“I am writing to inquire about the actions that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has taken or will take to disrupt the supply chains that perpetuate the spread of carfentanil in America’s largest city. The New York City Department of Health (NYCDOHMH) administers a drug-checking program that found traces of carfentanil in multiple samples collected from March 2024 to June 2024. I write as the United States Congressman for NY15 in the Bronx, one of the places where traces of carfentanil have been found.

“Fentanyl has given the United States the deadliest drug crisis in American history. In 2023 alone, over 100,000 Americans died from lethal drug overdoses—primarily from fentanyl. More Americans have died from lethal overdoses in 2023 than from lethal combat in World War I.

“The spread of carfentanil, even in the barest quantities, would make the deadliest drug crisis far deadlier—by orders of magnitude. Carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine; 5,000 times more potent than heroin; and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Potent enough to sedate an elephant, carfentanil is so dangerous and deadly that the DEA must never allow the nefarious networks that supply and distribute the fentanyl analog to go unscathed.

“Given the growing presence of carfentanil in NYC and the profound threat it poses to both public safety and public health, I am seeking clarity about the DEA’s law enforcement efforts in relation to combating carfentanil supply chains.”

The letter to CDC Director Mandy K. Cohen reads:

“I am writing to inquire about the actions the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has taken to monitor the spread of carfentanil in the United States. If New York City (NYC) is any indication, the spread of carfentanil could become a growing concern in the United States. The NYC Department of Health administers a drug-checking program that found traces of carfentanil in multiple samples collected from March 2024 to June 2024. I write as the United States Congressman for NY15 in the Bronx, one of the places where traces of carfentanil have been found.

“Fentanyl has given the United States the deadliest drug crisis in American history. In 2023 alone, over 100,000 Americans died from lethal drug overdoses—primarily from fentanyl. More Americans have died from lethal overdoses in 2023 than from lethal combat in World War I.

“The spread of carfentanil, even in the smallest quantities, would make the deadliest drug crisis far deadlier—by orders of magnitude. Carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine; 5,000 times more potent than heroin; and 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Carfentanil is so dangerous, destructive, and deadly that the CDC must never allow it to evade public health surveillance.

“Given the growing presence of carfentanil in America’s largest city, I am seeking answers to the following questions, which have taken on new urgency: 1. What is the state of the CDC’s public health surveillance of carfentanil? 2. Does the CDC have a drug-checking program? 3. How often has the CDC found traces of carfentanil in the samples it has collected? 4. In how many deaths has carfentanil been a factor? 5. Is the CDC procuring or incentivizing the development of technologies capable of detecting carfentanil?”

Please click the following links to view the Congressman’s letters to the CDC, DEA, as well as the document: “2024 Health Advisory #20: Carfentanil and Medetomidine in the NYC Drug Supply.”