Fentanyl has become one of the most dangerous substances in the modern world due to two factors – its exceptionally high level of toxicity and its ability to be used in counterfeit drugs. This powerful synthetic opioid has been primarily used for medicinal purposes but was determined to be significantly more potent than heroin or morphine. Due to the ease of being produced and added to other types of drugs, fentanyl has overtaken the market, changing the paradigm of drug use and trafficking.
Fentanyl’s rise to the top of the traffic hierarchy was primarily determined by economics. The production of synthetic opioids requires significantly fewer resources and can be hidden more efficiently than cultivating plants used for cannabinoid production. Moreover, fentanyl is substantially more potent than cocaine, heroin, or morphine, meaning that drugs with this additive can be produced cheaper and in higher quantities. However, the use of fentanyl in illicit substances is not limited to cocaine or heroin. It is often mixed with methamphetamine and is used as an additive to create fake pills.
Fake pills are produced using standard technology and equipment, such as tableting machines. They are mostly used to counterfeit narcotics and depressants such as Xanax, percocet, vicodin, adderall, and others. Due to the pills’ small size and high potency, fentanyl is found in the products made to resemble these medicines. One of the reasons for the dangerous impact of such pills is that people rarely suspect that a depressant could be in their medications. Students and young people take the counterfeit pills as sleeping pills, anxiety meds, or energy boosters, unaware of the potential for overdose. Moreover, since fentanyl pills are usually produced in illegal labs, little attention is paid to the quality of the dosage from one tablet to another. This inconsistency leads to what poison control centers refer to as the “chocolate chip cookie effect,” .
This phenomenon is particularly dangerous as the concentration of fentanyl can vary from one tablet to another, meaning that a person may not know what dosage they are getting. When fentanyl enters the bloodstream, it most significantly impacts the brain, binding to opioid receptors and reducing pain, sleep, and breathing. An opioid overdose occurs when breathing slows down due to the narcotic’s depressive effects on the central nervous system. Because fentanyl pills are often disguised as other medications, a large portion of the victims are unaware that they have been taking fentanyl before an overdose. Additionally, most believe that fentanyl overdose is no different from other narcotics, while it requires more immediate action, such as a dose of naloxone. Fentanyl’s appearance in counterfeit pills has significantly increased the risks of an opioid overdose due to its extreme potency and subtle nature.
Given how easily fake prescription pills can circulate online and on social media, what steps do you think communities should take to better protect young people from these hidden dangers?
MBH/PS