Fentanyl

What is Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.1

There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Both are considered synthetic opioids. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer.

However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous.


Illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) is available on the drug market in different forms, including liquid and powder1.

Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs. It is commonly mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into pills that are made to resemble other prescription opioids. Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl.

In its liquid form, IMF can be found in nasal sprays, eye drops, and dropped onto paper or small candies.

Why is Fentanyl So Dangerous?

Some people seek out fentanyl because it causes such a powerful high, but many who are exposed to, or overdose from, fentanyl never had any intention of taking it. Prescription drugs sold online or by unlicensed dealers that are marketed as OxyContin, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin and Xanax are often laced with it. About 40 percent of seized fake pills laced with fentanyl contained enough to potentially cause an overdose, according to a small analysis by the Drug Enforcement Administration. That is why it’s so important to only take pills that come from a licensed pharmacy. If you get pills or other drugs that weren’t prescribed by your doctor and weren’t administered by a licensed pharmacy, you should assume they have fentanyl in them.


Making matters worse, counterfeit pills often look legitimate — they may come in a prescription bottle and match the color and size of the prescription drug. Non-opioid street drugs, like methamphetamine and cocaine, can also be laced with fentanyl. That means ANY pill, line, bump, or hit could be the one that causes an overdose—even if another one didn't. It’s impossible to know if your supply is laced just by looking at it

Talk To Your Kids About Fentanyl

73% of teens report they hadn’t heard of the risk of fentanyl being added to counterfeit pills. (CDC)

Make it a Conversation

Telling teens not to do drugs is NOT the way to go here. The teens that are the most at risk may just tune this warning out if they feel like they’re being judged for their drug use. Focus the conversation on scientific facts and life-saving tips. Listen instead of sharing your own opinion.

Explain the Reality

Impress upon teens that fentanyl isn’t a distant danger—it’s hurting our community and they are very much at risk. The idea that “only people who get drugs from random people overdose” is completely false.

Be Clear About The Risk

Fentanyl is tasteless, odorless, and too small to see. In fact, an amount about the size of two grains of salt can cause an overdose. Dispel the myth of a “safe” source: Substances are laced with fentanyl long before they reach the friends, dealers, and friends-of-friends teens trust to supply them. Fentanyl can be anywhere, as distribution in pills and powders is totally random. While one pill might not be deadly, another one could be.

Help Them Access Naloxone

Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose. The teens around you may already know what naloxone is, but they may not carry it yet. Let teens know that naloxone is legal for ALL ages without a ID. They can get free naloxone, privately, with either of these methods:

  • OPTION ONE: Confidentially ordering online to have naloxone mailed to any address. Naloxone will come in plain packaging for privacy.

  • OPTION TWO: Picking up naloxone from a local provider. For a list of locations that provide free naloxone, visit LacedandLethal.com. Providers may ask general questions about age and gender, but the identity of anyone asking for naloxone will be completely confidential. When picking up naloxone, teens are welcome to ask any questions they may have and receive naloxone training, if they’d like it. While it’s not made specifically for teens, StopOverdose.org is another great resource for overdose prevention information.

Fentanyl Overdoses: What to Know

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over 190 people die each day from overdoses involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl (CDC).

Drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl, and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it. It is nearly impossible to tell if drugs have been laced with fentanyl unless you test your drugs with fentanyl test strips.

Test strips are inexpensive and typically give results within 5 minutes, which can be the difference between life or death. Even if the test is negative, take caution as test strips might not detect more potent fentanyl-like drugs, like carfentanil.(NCHS)

Signs Of Overdose

Recognizing the signs of opioid overdose can save a life. Here are some things to look for:

  • 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)



If you think someone is overdosing, don’t wait — call 911 right away. Fentanyl overdoses can cause death so quickly. If you’re concerned that a loved one could be exposed to fentanyl — for instance, if he or she or friends occasionally experiment with drugs that could be contaminated — you may also want to buy naloxone, a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. You can get trained on how to use it here.


Social Media & Fentanyl

Criminal drug networks are abusing social media to expand their reach, create new markets, and target new clientele. This includes by selling deadly fake fentanyl and methamphetamine pills, often to unsuspecting teenagers, young adults, and older Americans, who think they are buying the real thing.

No longer confined to street corners and the dark web, criminal drug networks are now in every home and school in America because of the internet apps on our smartphones.

Drug traffickers have turned smartphones into a one-stop shop to market, sell, buy, and deliver deadly, fake prescription pills and other dangerous drugs. In just three steps, deadly drugs can be purchased and delivered to your home just like any other good or service.

In January, family and friends of young people who died after taking counterfeit pills protested outside the headquarters of Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, in Santa Monica, Calif.


Credit... Apu Gomes/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Here are a few ways you can protect your kids and prevent them from purchasing drugs online*:

  1. Keep the communication lines open. Make sure to always have an open line of communication with your young loved ones. Let them keep you in the know about their friends, what’s happening in their school, their interests, and more. Being close to him or her also helps you to notice changes in behavior that could point to drug use.

  2. Make sure they know the consequences. Because the drugs can be so readily available online, kids may believe that they aren’t really that dangerous. But many times, dealers will lace pills with other substances (like fentanyl) that will increase the drug's potency and make its consumption even more dangerous. In addition to possible overdose, using and buying drugs can lead to other consequences. There have been cases where someone has been sentenced to prison for giving a pill to someone who later overdosed.

  3. Check out their “searches” (if you suspect drug use). Look through their browser or Google searches (on their computer or cell phones). Keep an eye out for any “How to buy ____ online” -type searches. Bring up anything that causes strong suspicion. This may be an uncomfortable conversation and you may also be accused of spying (which you are technically doing). But be sure to let him or her know that you are worried and only want to keep them safe. Make sure you point out recent cases in the news about young people overdosing on drugs. You may also want to invest in a “Parental-Control and Monitoring Apps.”

  4. Monitor their delivered packages (if you suspect drug use). Drugs are often delivered in unmarked and discreet packages. If you find your loved one getting such mail, or packages that you don’t expect, ask them about it. You may want to stick around when they are opening the package.

With drugs being more accessible than ever, the most important things you can do are to educate yourself on the potential danger while maintaining a good relationship with your teen.

Source: “Is Your Teen or Child Buying Prescription Drugs Online?”, Psychology Today

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