The newest threat in the US overdose epidemic is 10,000 times stronger than morphine — and it's typically used on elephants

Erowid Center

Fentanyl, the opioid painkiller that killed Prince and is 50 times stronger than morphine, pales in comparison to a new drug called carfentanil.

Carfentanil is a drug so strong that it's used to sedate elephants. It's 100 times as potent as fentanyl, which makes it roughly 10,000 times stronger than morphine.

And now it's showing up on the street.

Last week, a 36-year-old Ohio man suspected of selling carfentanil as heroin was indicted in connection with a death on July 10, the Associated Press reported.

But carfentanil is just one part of the far bigger issue of painkiller use and abuse.

Read on to find out where the deadly drug is likely being made, what it looks like, and what it does:

This is fentanyl. It looks like any other prescription painkiller — but it isn't.

Fentanyl, which is also available in a patch or liquid, is 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and about 40 to 50 times more potent than 100% pure heroin.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Still, the drug belongs to a larger class of drugs, known as opioid painkillers, which includes prescription drugs like OxyContin and Vicodin. These drugs work by capitalizing on our body's natural pain-relief system, and can result in a surging sense of euphoria.