What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used in the medical field to treat patients with chronic or severe pain. The opioid itself can be up to 10 times stronger than morphine which inherently makes it dangerously more addicting. When distributed illicitly, fentanyl is often mixed in with other drugs to increase the potency of the drug. according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, it is most often sold as powders, nasal sprays, and pressed into pills to appear as prescription opioids.

Fentanyl produces psychoactive effects of euphoria, relaxation, and pain relief. However it similarly can induce nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, and pupillary constriction. Because there is no oversight in the production of illicit fentanyl, the drug is often dispersed in lethal amounts - especially in the counterfeit pills.

The increased danger behind fentanyl comes with its low cost and strong potency. As briefly mentioned, fentanyl is used to increased the potency of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and meth. When mixed into other drugs, it is possible for the user to be unaware of fentanyl being added in or it effects making it more alarmingly dangerous. As of January 2021, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids were the leading causes for overdoses in the US, rising a staggering 38.1percent while overdose deaths rose 55.6 percent (DEA).

https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl