Tuesday, May 7, is National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The observation recognizes the approximately 70,000 Americans who fatally overdosed on fentanyl in 2023. Ahead of May 7, RHHD Substance Use Disorder Coordinator Jasmine Blue shares some important facts about fentanyl:
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid and a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. CDC distinguishes between pharmaceutical fentanyl and illegally made fentanyl. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by a healthcare provider in a medical setting to treat severe pain. On the other hand, illegally made fentanyl is unregulated and is often added to other drugs, making them more addictive and dangerous.
What is something people might be most surprised to know about fentanyl?
As little as two milligrams of fentanyl (two grains of salt) can put you at risk for overdose.
How does fentanyl complicate our overdose epidemic?
People may be exposed to fentanyl without knowing it. It’s nearly impossible to tell if drugs that did not come from a licensed pharmacy have been laced with fentanyl, because you can’t see it, taste it, or smell it.
Who should care about this issue?
Fentanyl’s presence in the illegal drug market has become widespread, increasing the likelihood of accidental exposure and overdose, which poses a threat to individuals, families, and communities regardless of their risk or socioeconomic status.
Counterfeit pills often look legitimate. If you get pills or other drugs that weren’t prescribed by your doctor than you have to assume that they might be laced with fentanyl.
Fentanyl is also a rising threat to children who can also get into poorly stored recreational drugs or prescription medications that aren’t stored correctly and overdose.
What do people who use drugs need to do to keep themselves safe?
Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a way to reduce the risk of a drug overdose. FTS are small strips of paper that can be used to detect the presence of fentanyl in different kinds of drugs and show results within several minutes. You can test pills, powders and injectable drugs using the FTS. In addition to using test strips, you should keep naloxone available, which can be prescribed by your healthcare provider or obtained through RHHD.
There are safe and effective ways to recover from substance use disorder.
Treatment can take many forms, take place in a range of settings, and last for variable amounts of time, depending on the needs of the individual SAMHSA has a free, confidential helpline that offers treatment referral and information service for individuals and families at 1-800-662-HELP(4357).
We can all learn to recognize the signs of an overdose and train to respond to an opioid overdose with naloxone. And if you want more information or hope to connect with other resources, come out to our Community Health Fair on May 7!
