{"id":16304,"date":"2023-03-07T20:16:16","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T20:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=16304"},"modified":"2023-03-28T19:24:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T19:24:10","slug":"americas-killer-new-drug%e2%80%8b-a-guide-to-fentanyl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2023\/03\/americas-killer-new-drug%e2%80%8b-a-guide-to-fentanyl\/","title":{"rendered":"America\u2019s Killer New Drug\u200b: A Guide To Fentanyl"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid chemically similar to other substances like hydrocodone, oxycodone, heroin, and morphine. In recent years, fentanyl has played an increasingly prominent role in the opioid crisis, alongside other prescription medications like\u00a0Dilaudid. Synthetic opioids are the most common drugs responsible for overdose deaths. In 2010, fentanyl was involved in 14.3% of drug overdose deaths. However, by 2017,\u00a0fentanyl use<\/a>\u00a0accounted for nearly 59% of opioid-related deaths.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fentanyl was created in 1959 and began being manufactured and distributed in the United States throughout the 1960s. Its original use was as an intravenous medication to treat cancer pain. According to the\u00a0Drug Enforcement Administration<\/a>\u00a0(DEA), fentanyl\u2019s pain-relieving properties are about 100 times more powerful than morphine\u2019s and 50 times more potent than heroin\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fentanyl as a Prescription Medication<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

To obtain fentanyl legally, a prescription from a doctor is required. Fentanyl is only prescribed to patients experiencing severe pain from cancer and who have developed a physical tolerance to other opioids. Building a tolerance means that a person\u2019s body has gotten used to the drug and requires higher and\/or more frequent doses to relieve the pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fentanyl<\/a>\u00a0should not be used to treat any other types of pain, especially pain caused by migraines, headaches, an injury, or pain from a medical or dental procedure. Its primary purpose is to treat sudden episodes of pain that occur despite ongoing continuous pain management with other medications. Prescription fentanyl can be taken as an oral lozenge, sublingual tablet or spray, skin patch, nasal spray, or injection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fentanyl as an Illegal Street Drug<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Fentanyl sourced on the street is often produced illegally in a lab. However, there have been documented cases of distribution through other pathways, including theft and fraudulent prescriptions. Patients, physicians, and pharmacists have also been complicit in contributing to fentanyl\u2019s unlawful circulation. There are several ways fentanyl is misused.<\/span><\/p>\n

The gel contents of patches can be removed and injected or ingested. Patches can also be frozen, cut into pieces, and put under the tongue or between the gums and cheek. Street-bought fentanyl is sold in similar forms as its prescription counterpart. However, it can also come as a powder, in eye droppers, on blotter papers, and in pills that look like prescription opioids.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the street, it may be called:<\/span><\/p>\n