SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sometimes hidden in pills or powders, and often impossible to detect before it’s too late.
Carfentanil is a drug so powerful that just a few grains can shut down the human body in seconds. It’s colorless, it’s odorless, and at 10,000 times stronger than morphine, Carfentanil is one of the most lethal substances on the street drug market today. For families who’ve lost loved ones to it, the impact is devastating.
“You lose them twice, you know, once to addiction, then once to death,” said Lisa Peters of Sioux Falls.
Peters’ daughter died on Nov. 9, 2024, when she unknowingly consumed a substance laced with a fatal dose of Carfentanil. Before addiction got a hold of her, Shannon was a vibrant young woman. She died at age 32.
“I have more questions than answers for sure about her whole addiction,” said Peters. “And when I saw Carfentanil on the death certificate, I’m like, what is this?”
Peters is far from alone. Angela Kennecke, founder of Emily’s Hope, lost her own daughter to an opioid overdose in 2018. Since then, she’s dedicated her life to education, treatment access, and prevention.
“If you think about fentanyl, it takes about what is equivalent to 4 grains of salt to kill someone; it’s hardly anything. Carfentanil takes a fraction of that. So it is extremely potent, extremely deadly, it’s an elephant tranquilizer, and it shouldn’t be in anything a human being takes,” said Kennecke.