Many Americans are being directly and indirectly impacted by fentanyl. Reports of overdoses and poisonings are seemingly everywhere. Its prevalence leads to questions: Is fentanyl a safe medicine or a deadly poison? What are the risks? How do I keep my loved ones safe?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is safely used in medical settings for pain relief every day. However, because it is cheap, potent, and relatively easy to make, a black market version of fentanyl has percolated into the street drug market. This illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF)** is now the primary contributor to the recent, unprecedented spike in drug related deaths.
People can encounter fentanyl in many different settings, and the risk of overdose or poisoning in each setting is variable. Given everything known about today’s fentanyl landscape, the Expert Fentanyl Response Team has organized various potential scenarios (or encounters) into three types, followed by context and consensus about the relative risk of overdose or poisoning.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid.
POTENT: Up to 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine. A few grains of sand worth can be lethal.
SYNTHETIC: Not plant-based. Made in a lab.
OPIOID: Pain reliever like oxycodone, morphine and heroin.
Join the National Fentanyl Awareness Day coalition of 500+ partners to spread the word on April 9, 2025. Assets for social media posts, email drafts to stakeholders, and additional ways to activate are available in our toolkit.
For more information visit the Fentanyl Awareness website
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