{"id":17802,"date":"2024-08-20T20:54:26","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T19:54:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=17802"},"modified":"2024-10-05T15:15:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-05T14:15:06","slug":"its-an-odd-side-effect-of-opioid-abuse-why-are-fentanyl-users-bent-over-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2024\/08\/its-an-odd-side-effect-of-opioid-abuse-why-are-fentanyl-users-bent-over-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s an odd side effect of opioid abuse: Why are fentanyl users bent over. Here’s why"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s become one of the most startling signs of the\u00a0fentanyl crisis\u00a0happening across California: Seemingly zombified drug users slumped over in awkward positions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternately called “the fentanyl fold\u201d or “the\u00a0fentanyl\u00a0bend over,” videos and photos of people\u00a0reportedly using the drug have spread through\u00a0social media<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the ‘fentanyl fold’?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you have ever witnessed what looks like seemingly intoxicated people bent over or frozen in place on sidewalks or in parks, you might be seeing someone in the throes of opioid use.<\/span><\/p>\n

But why do the people look hunched over or moving like zombies?<\/span><\/p>\n

“It’s a degree of loss of consciousness and a degree of lost muscular control,” Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a UCSF professor of addiction medicine, told\u00a0ABC7 San Francisco.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The “fentanyl fold” effect can reportedly kick in within two or three minutes after taking the drug, Ciccarone said.<\/span><\/p>\n

And how long will the awkward body position last?<\/span><\/p>\n

“Fentanyl can be a short-action drug and a long-acting drug. So some people they’re back upright in 45 minutes to an hour. Some people could be longer than that,” Ciccarone said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fentanyl abuse isn’t the only opioid that can cause the awkward body reaction, Ciccarone said. Any opioid can have the same effect on users.<\/span><\/p>\n

How many people have died of\u00a0fentanyl\u00a0poisoning in California and the United States?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Deaths related to fentanyl began to rise around 2019, according to the\u00a0California Department of Health.<\/a>\u00a0In the last detailed study in 2022, the CDPH estimated nearly 6,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in California.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nationwide, the\u00a0Center for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>\u00a0numbers show 84,181 opioid overdose deaths in 2022 to\u00a081,083\u00a0and\u00a081,083\u00a0in 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the signs of a fentanyl overdose?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The CDPH advises people who suspect a friend or family of opioid abuse should look at for:<\/span><\/p>\n