Fort Smith police have issued a public safety warning after officers found carfentanil, a synthetic opioid, in two separate cases in the city for the first time. Police said two people were arrested in unrelated illegal narcotics investigations where test results showed fake pain pills contained carfentanil.

Concerns Over Public Safety

Authorities have not released the names of those arrested and said the investigations were ongoing, but warned the drug’s presence in the city could lead to more overdoses and deaths. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, carfentanil is about 100 times stronger than fentanyl and roughly 10,000 times stronger than morphine.

Police spokesperson Aric Mitchell urged people to avoid taking pills that do not come through legitimate medical channels. “If you are struggling with pain and you struggle with addiction or you know somebody in your family who is, it’s so important that they are getting those medications prescribed and through the traditional means,” Mitchell said.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.