Health authorities concerned about elephant tranquilizer hitting the streets

Atranquilizer for large animals such as elephantsis becoming popular as a street drug and it hashealth authorities in the United Statesalong the border with Southwestern Ontario sounding the alarm.

Officials in Ohio recently issued a public health warning about the drug called carfentanil,after several deaths caused by overdose. The drug is similar to fentanyl, but is highly potent.

Both are synthetic opioids, and are highly addictive. Carfentanil is not approved for human use.

"It is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, and 100 times more potent than fentanyl," saidTim Ingram, the health commissioner in Hamilton County, Ohio.

He spoke with CBC's Afternoon Drive and is extremely concerned about the drug being used on the street.

Ingram saidcarfentanil is cheaper, and can get to market faster than other drugs since it can be manufactured synthetically and in large quantities.

People that are already addicted are the most likely to use carfentantil at the moment, Ingram said.But hewarns that Canadian health authorities needto stay vigilant.

"We need to get... more and more physicians specialized as addiction medicine specialists," he said.