Wednesday’s tragic death of an Evansville child believed to have ingested fentanyl is a painful reminder of the drug’s potency and widespread use.
The death of three-year-old Kamari Opperman at her grandparents’ house followed her mother saying Kamari and two other kids may have been exposed to the powerful drug.
Two months before the tragedy, officials including Drug Enforcement Agency Special Agent Michael Gannon told reporters in Evansville that fentanyl overdoses have been surging.
Gannon noted the potency of the illegal drug.
"Two milligrams of fentanyl alone is considered a lethal dosage unit. That's just about the tip of a pencil."
Vanderburgh County Coroner Steve Lockyear told reporters this year’s overdose deaths will easily beat last year’s total.
And Gannon said the effort will continue to stop those who sell fentanyl.
"And at the end of the day, the DEA will remain committed to investigate crimes of drug overdoses and drug dealing and hold the people that are doing that accountable."
Opperman’s mother, grandparents, and three other adults face charges in connection with the girl’s death.
Police said more than 5,000 suspected fentanyl pills were found at the mother’s home.