What is the Fentanyl Crisis?

Fentanyl is classified as a synthetic opioid. When it is used appropriately in medical settings, it is dosed in micrograms (1 millionth of a gram). Fentanyl is often laced into recreational drugs to enhance their addictive nature. When it is added to these drugs, the dosage is typically in milligrams, 1000 times stronger than micrograms, often fatal. Fentanyl in recreational drugs is invisible to the naked eye. Therefore, telling the difference between a non-adulterated and an adulterated drug is nearly impossible. Fentanyl is extremely dangerous because it quickly shuts down one's respiratory system. Unfortunately, the increase in fentanyl overdoses has increased exponentially over the last decade as this lethal drug is spreading across the country.

Keeping Yourself Safe

Anyone can become a victim of the fentanyl crisis, not just frequent drug users and drug abusers. There are many safeguards that will help keep you and others protected from fentanyl. If someone is experiencing a drug overdose, you can keep them safe by administering Naloxone. Naloxone is a medication that is used to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It works by binding to the same receptors in the brain that opioids do, blocking their effects and restoring a normal breathing pattern. Fortunately, whether or not someone has fentanyl in their system, administering Naloxone will not harm the individual. Naloxone is easy to administer as it is a simple nasal spray. What's more, if you are worried that a recreational drug you are ingesting might contain Fentanyl, you can check if the substance has been adulterated by dissolving it in water and inserting a fentanyl test strip.