PETALING JAYA: AN expert says furanylfentanyl is among the most dangerous substances found in vape liquids.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Drug Research Centre director Prof Dr M. Vikneswaran said furanylfentanyl – otherwise known as the ‘zombie drug’ – carries an extreme overall danger.
“It carries a very high risk of death, even at extremely small or microgram levels.
“At the same time, furanylfentanyl carries extremely high addiction risk,” he said.
Furanylfentanyl is an analog of fentanyl, both of which are highly potent synthetic opioids. Both are about 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
“While fentanyl is approved for use in pain management, furanylfentanyl is regarded as a designer drug and not approved for any indication by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency or even the Food and Drug Administration of the United States.
“Furanylfentanyl has no accepted medical use in most countries and is mainly encountered as an illicit drug.
“Due to its high potency, it is considered very dangerous to both physical and mental health, often more so than heroin or morphine,” Prof Vikneswaran said.
Furanylfentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid linked to fatal overdoses, severe respiratory suppression, neurological impairment and potential long-term damage.
