Understanding Fentanyl: Risks and Identification
Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, poses significant risks due to its strength and widespread illicit manufacturing. Learn about the types of fentanyl, how to identify illicitly manufactured forms, why it is a major concern for public health, and signs of overdose. Stay informed to protect yourself and others from the dangers of fentanyl abuse.
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What you need to know about FENTANYL Pocatello Mayor s Youth Advisory Council 2022-2023
What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid: a painkiller. It is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. There are two types of fentanyl: 1) PHARMACEUTICAL FENTANYL This is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer. 1) ILLICITLY MANUFACTURED FENTANYL This type of fentanyl is highly dangerous because it isn t regulated. It is often added to other drugs because of how potent it is, making other drugs cheaper while increasing the power, addictiveness, and danger of the drugs. Source: Center for Disease Control
How to Identify Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl (IMF) 1) Street names include, but are not limited to: a) Apache, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfellas, Jackpot, Murder 8, as well as Tango & Cash 2) Various forms of IMF include, but are not limited to: a) Powder i) Powdered fentanyl looks almost identical to other powdered drugs. It is commonly mixed with drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. b) Pills i) This powder can also be formed into pills to resemble other prescription opioids. These pills are commonly blue, greenish, or pale. These pills may be marked as M30 , K9 , 215 , and v48 . ii) Note: Oxycodone pills that are sold on the street or online are likely to contain fentanyl. Source: Center for Disease Control, Lakewood School District
Continued c) Liquid I) In liquid form, IMF can be found in eye drops, nasal sprays, and dropped onto paper or small candies. Demio DEA Lane Source: Center for Disease Control
Why Fentanyl is a Major Concern Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths, since very small doses can be deadly. By May 18, 2022, Bannock County had seen 8 overdose deaths; 6 of those were directly related to fentanyl. (Riley) To make matters worse, it is nearly impossible to tell if drugs have been laced with fentanyl unless they are tested with fentanyl test strips, which aren t always accurate either. The lethality of fentanyl (it only takes two milligrams to OD) as well as the near impossibility of detecting it and other related drugs makes them a major concern. Sources: Center for Disease Control, Riley
Signs of Overdose How to recognize signs of opioid overdose: Small, constricted pinpoint pupils Falling asleep or losing consciousness Slow, weak, or no breathing Choking or gurgling sounds Limp body Cold and/or clammy skin Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails) Enough fentanyl for a fatal overdose compared to the size of a penny. Flaherty Source: Center for Disease Control
What to do If You Think Someone is Overdosing If you aren t sure if they are high or experiencing an overdose, still treat it like an overdose- it could save their life. 1) Call 911 Immediately* 2) Administer naloxone, if available 3) Try to keep the person awake and breathing 4) Lay the person on their side to prevent choking 5) Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives *Most states have laws that may protect a person who is overdosing or the person who called for help from legal trouble. Source: Center for Disease Control
Naloxone Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and save lives. It is available in all 50 states and can be purchased from a local pharmacy without a prescription in most states (Center for Disease Control). Naloxone often takes the form of NARCAN Nasal Spray and is administered to counter the effects of opioid overdose, specifically the symptoms of breathing that has slowed down or completely stopped. Sources: Adams, Center for Disease Control
Sources Adams, Jerome. U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Naloxone and Opioid Overdose. HHS.gov, 8 April 2022, https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/addiction-and-substance-misuse/advisory-on- naloxone/index.html. Accessed 16 October 2022. Center for Disease Control. Fentanyl Facts. CDC, 23 February 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html. Accessed 16 October 2022. DEA. DEA Warns of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl Used to Target Young Americans. DEA.gov, 30 August 2022, https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2022/08/30/dea-warns-brightly-colored-fentanyl-used-target-young-americans. Accessed 16 October 2022. DeMio, Terry. Fentanyl fuels overdose deaths in Cincinnati, US; What does fentanyl do. Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 November 2021, https://www.cincinnati.com/in-depth/news/2021/11/11/fentanyl-influx-fuels-overdose-deaths-cincinnati-united- states/8522273002/. Accessed 16 October 2022.
Sources Continued Flaherty, Anne. Border protection stored enough fentanyl to kill 794 million, but isn't doing enough to protect its agents: Watchdog. ABC News, 19 July 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/US/border-protection-stored-fentanyl-kill-794-million-isnt/story?id=64444041. Accessed 16 October 2022. Lakewood School District. Understanding fentanyl and preventing deaths. Lakewood School District, 2022, https://www.lwsd.wednet.edu/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&DomainID=4&ModuleInstanceID=120&ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316- 3F8874B3E108&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=4761&PageID=1. Accessed 16 October 2022. Lane, Mary Beth. New report shows fentanyl-related deaths increasing in Franklin County. The Columbus Dispatch, 3 April 2018, https://www.dispatch.com/story/lifestyle/health-fitness/2018/04/03/new-report-shows-fetanyl-related/12828668007/. Accessed 16 October 2022. Riley, Kyle, and Shelbie Harris. Gov. Little, several regional police agencies talk fentanyl during roundtable at Pocatello City Hall. Idaho State Journal, 9 May 2022, https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/gov-little-several-regional-police-agencies-talk-fentanyl-during- roundtable-at-pocatello-city-hall/article_7012d6f7-ab6f-5b6a-afa0-eec03f065c9d.html. Accessed 16 October 2022.
