Gila Hope

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Dangers of Fentanyl

In 2022 over 100,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings, with 67% of these deaths involving fentanyl.

In Arizona, more than 5 people die every day from opioid overdose, with fentanyl ranking as the most commonly reported drug in overdose cases.

it only takes a very small dose
of fentanyl-2 milligrams - to be
lethal, such as the amount
found on the tip of this pencil.

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl Citrate is a powerful synthetic opioid, meaning it is made in a lab.
It’s a prescription drug, 80-100x stronger than morphine and 50x stronger than heroin, that was originally developed to treat the chronic pain that cancer patients experience.

Who's Really Using?

42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered to be a lethal dose. Many counterfeit or contaminated pills confiscated by law enforcement agencies have been found to contain up to 5mg of fentanyl - more than twice the lethal dose. It's difficult to know who's illicitly using due to the fact that most fentanyl consumption occurs through contamination, meaning many are unaware of its presence until after the point of overdose.

Common/Street Names

Apace
China Girl
China Town
China White
Dance Fever
Goodfellas

Great Bear
He-Man
Poison
Tango & Cash
The Blues

We acknowledge that several street names for fentanyl contain disrespectful and degrading language towards groups of people; however, we think it is important to provide real, relevant information to help you have all the information you need to make healthy decisions.

The High

Fentanyl is a synthetic (lab-made) opioid, typically used to treat severe pain. The high includes euphoria (feelings of extreme happiness), relaxation, drowsiness, or sedation. Negatively, a fentanyl high can result in nausea, vomiting, constipation, sweating, and difficulty breathing.

Prescribed Legal Forms

How is prescribed fentanyl consumed?

Injected
Slow release absorption through the skin
Orally (sucked on like a cough drop)

Subdermal
(skin patch)

Oral Lozenge

Liquid

Powder (loose or
pressed into pills)

Liquid

Non-Prescribed Illegal Forms

How is non-prescribed fentanyl consumed?

Eye drops, nasal spray, liquid drops on blotter paper
Snorted, smoked, ingested (often unknowingly through contamination in other drugs)

Did you know?

Fentanyl binds to the brain’s opioid receptors causing the brain to increase production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter made in your brain. Dopamine’s role in our body is involved in pleasure and motivation, memory, movement, attention, mood, learning and more. Over time, the brain craves this excess dopamine rush provided when taking drugs like fentanyl and searches for it, leading to abuse and addiction.

Drug Addiction and Dopamine

When taken at a high dose, fentanyl interferes with the body's ability to regulate breathing.

Over 15 people die everyday from overdose of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. 77% of preventable drug overdoses include opioids.

Drug Addiction
And Dopamine

Fentanyl + the Body

Long term effects

Slowed breathing rate
Confusion
Hallucinations
Weakness
Sweating
Itchy skin
Constricted pupils
Seizures

Short term effects

Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Altered heart rate

Fentanyl & the Law

Fentanyl is legally available in the United States when prescribed by a physician. However, without a prescription, it is a serious crime to possess both by state and federal law. Possessing more fentanyl than a prescribed amount can lead to arrest, driver’s license suspension, criminal prosecution, fines, and other legal ramifications

Did you know?

The biggest risk with fentanyl comes from the presence of the drug or analogs (different versions of the drug) in counterfeit opioid pills, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine
MOST individuals who have died of a fentanyl-related overdose did not know they were ingesting fentanyl
Fentanyl-related overdoses can also be referred to as: fentanyl-poisoning or accidental overdose
Fentanyl test strips, which are available at pharmacies, the Gila County Health Department (for free), or online, can be used to detect the presence of fentanyl in order to prevent accidental overdose. This video demonstrates the proper way to use fentanyl test strips.
Because of how these pills are made and pressed, they are not created equal. This means that pills will vary in the amount of fentanyl contained in them. Many counterfeit pills have been found to contain up to 5mg of fentanyl, a lethal dose of fentanyl is 2mg.

Fentanyl Test Strips

Legal and used to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs
Does NOT detect the amount of fentanyl present
Takes 5 minutes
Detects many fentanyl analogs (but not all)
Requires different techniques for different drugs
A negative reading is not a guarantee

Signs of an Opioid Overdose

Unresponsive
Breathing changes
- Slow, abnormal, absent, choking, gurgling noises
Skin
- Pale, blue, or ashen
  - Especially at the lips or fingertips
Body
- Limp or “passed out” and unable to respond
- Vomiting
- Heartbeat is slow or absent

Naloxone (aka) Narcan

Overdose reversal drug
- Naloxone = the name of the drug
- Narcan = the brand name of the drug
Narcan:
- legal to carry and used to reverse an opioid-related overdose
- is an atomizer (nasal spray)
- temporarily blocks opiate receptors in the body and works on all opioids (heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone)
- naloxone is safe to use, even if you are not sure what drugs the person took
- naloxone cannot harm an individual even if they have not ingested an opioid

SAVE me

Stimulate
- Shout their name, rub your knuckles on their sternum, pinch or jostle them.
- If no response, proceed with getting support and start rescue breathing.
Airway
- Put the person on their back. Tilt their head back to open their airway.
- Clear any blockages in the mouth or throat before providing rescue breaths.
Ventilate
- If the chest doesn’t rise, check for blockages, reposition the head and try again.
- Give breaths every 5 seconds until they breathe on their own or help arrives.
Evaluate
- Are they conscious? Are they breathing? Do they need Naloxone?