What Is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl, a schedule II prescription narcotic analgesic, is roughly 50 to 80 times more potent than morphine. This medication is used to manage pain during surgery. In clandestine laboratories, fentanyl can be produced in powder form and mixed with or substituted for heroin. Preventing Overdoses Persons using heroin or cocaine, or in treatment/recovery from such use, need to know that: • The potency of street-sold heroin or cocaine is amplified by fentanyl. • There is no way to tell that heroin or cocaine is “cut” with fentanyl. • Because the potency of the drug purchased on the street is not known, any use—even a reduced dose—can result in overdose or death. • The effects of an overdose occur rapidly. Fentanyl-related overdoses can result in sudden death through respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, severe respiratory depression, cardiovascular collapse or severe anaphylactic reaction. Furthermore, routine toxicology screens for opiates will not detect fentanyl.
