The Bay Area has recorded its first death attributable to an overdose from a much more potent and deadly fentanyl analog, carfentanil.

The County of Santa Clara Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed last week that a 39-year-old man who died of a drug overdose had taken pills laced with carfentanil, which is said to be 100 times more potent than fentanyl — which itself 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine. The male victim was found in possession of counterfeit M30 pills, which are meant to resemble prescription oxycodone.

"Using drugs alone increases the risk of death. We urge people to avoid the dangers of opioids, especially fake pills that may contain carfentanil or fentanyl,” said Dr. Michelle Jorden, Santa Clara County's chief medical examiner, said in a statement. "Fake pills look real, but they can be deadly. People should not take any pill that they did not buy from the pharmacy."

Carefentanil, unlike fentanyl, has never been approved for human consumption, and has been used to tranquilize elephants. It is deadly to humans even in the most minute quantities — and we've previously heard that just a couple grains of fentanyl can kill a person who has not developed a tolerance.

"What I'm really worried about — and the reason I want people to be made aware of this — is because some of the pills that are sold off the street could be potentially laced with carfentanil," Dr. Jordan said, speaking to ABC 7.

Carfentanil has not previously been found in the local drug supply in the Bay Area, and this death comes at a time when public health officials are also concerned about the entry of another potentially deadly additive that is also meant for veterinary use, medetomidine, aka "rhino tranq." The drug showed up in the autopsy of one woman who died in San Francisco in February.

As the Chronicle notes today, an overdose from carfentanil can be reversed with Narcan, but it will likely require multiple high doses to be administered to work.