About Fentanyl and Synthetic Drugs
Fentanyl is an extremely strong opioid that doctors may give during surgery and to treat severe pain. Recently, criminal organizations have started making their own version of fentanyl. This "illicit" fentanyl is sold as a powder and added to other drugs like heroin.
It is also pressed into
fake pills that are stamped to look like prescription opioids (e.g., oxycodone, Percocet®️), as well as medications that treat anxiety (e.g., Xanax®️), or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (e.g., Adderall®️). Students may unknowingly purchase illicit fentanyl when attempting to buy genuine medications through friends, social media, or illegitimate online pharmacies.
Fentanyl has caused a surge in overdose deaths among youth and adults. It has a high overdose risk because it is very concentrated–it is 50 times as strong as heroin. The crude way in which these drugs are mixed makes each dose unpredictable, increasing the risk.
Fentanyl is synthetic–that is, it is formed from lab-made chemicals and not from naturally occurring ingredients. This makes it cheaper to manufacture and more profitable to sell illegally. Another synthetic drug, xylazine, is increasingly being added alongside illicit fentanyl.
Xylazine is a strong tranquilizer that veterinarians use to sedate large animals like horses. The combined effect of these two drugs on breathing and the heart further increases the risk of death.
