“I’m calling his name…he’s not replying.”
Allyssia Paloma shares the memory of the moment she found her brother, Mikael, who died from fentanyl poisoning. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly.
Explore our Fentanyl Awareness pages and get the facts about the dangers of illicit fentanyl and how to protect yourself and the ones you love.
The Facts About Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Doctors prescribe pharmaceutical fentanyl to treat severe pain, but illicit fentanyl is sold on the black market. It is a white powder that can be easily added to other drugs and is classified as a narcotic.
Drugs commonly laced with fentanyl:
Opioids
Hydrocodone (Vicodin®)
Oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®)
Alprazolam (Xanax®)
Stimulants
Amphetamines (Adderall®)
Methamphetamines
Cocaine
Hallucinogens
MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly)
If drugs are laced or replaced with fentanyl, you won’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it.
Effects of Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that binds to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord and can cause confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, euphoria, nausea and vomiting, changes in pupil size, cold and clammy skin, and coma. It can cause respiratory depression, leading to shallow breathing and respiratory failure, which can lead to death.
Finding Zach
When Chris Didier found his son, Zach, slumped over on his desk with his head in his arm, he initially thought he was just sleeping. But something didn’t feel right, so he took a closer look – Zach died of fentanyl poisoning.
Fentanyl is Widespread
Criminal drug networks are producing Illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) in record amounts. By the end of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills. This represents about 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl in 2022. Since fentanyl is very cheap to produce, these drug networks are making record profits off of the American people.
Fentanyl on the Internet
According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), 20 new illegal pharmacies appear on the web each day. These claim to be authentic and to offer prescriptions with the approval of a “doctor.” They advertise with spam emails and pop-ups and offer direct-to-consumer shipments of the product. If you suspect an illegal pharmacy, you can file a report 24/7 with the DEA.
(1) Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Facts About Fentanyl. https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/pdf/fentanyl_fact_sheet_508c.pdf