“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered.”
The white specks of powder next to Honest Abe Lincoln are a 2 milligram dose of Fentanyl. It’s about the weight of a pinch of salt BUT it would be fatal for most people.
Fentanyl is a powerful opioid legally used for pain management and anesthesia. Unfortunately, it is also illicitly used as a recreational drug, sometimes mixed with heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines, and in recent times Xylazine. Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a powerful sedative that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for veterinary use
Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine.
In 2023, Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents.
According to the CDC, 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022. A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Some of these deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose; it’s particularly dangerous for someone who does not have a tolerance to opioids.
May 9, 2023 was Fentanyl Awareness Day.
Here a just a few facts:
- Fentanyl is cheap, potent, and profitable so dealers use it to make fake pills
- Fake pills have been found in all 50 states
- Fentanyl-involved deaths are fastest growing among 14-23 year old’s
You can find more facts to share here:
https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/
On August 21, 2022 the Drug Enforcement Agency observed National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. A special exhibit was created, The Faces of Fentanyl, to commemorate the lives lost from Fentanyl.
https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness
