Fentanyl is a synthetic (man-made) opioid that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. It can cause extreme happiness, drowsiness, nausea, confusion, constipation, sedation, problems breathing, unconsciousness, and even death, especially in high doses or when mixed with other substances. There is no “safe” dose of illicit/illegal Fentanyl as it is completely unregulated.

Medical Fentanyl is prescribed by doctors for (extreme) pain management, typically in controlled environments like hospitals. Illegal/illicit Fentanyl is manufactured in unregulated settings (like someone’s basement or garage), leading to varying strengths and increased risk of overdose. Illegal Fentanyl is entirely inconsistent and tiny, undetectable amounts can kill.

Medical grade/prescription fentanyl comes in multiple forms and brand names. They include: Actiq - Typically used for cancer patients in the form of lozenges/lollipops; Duragesic - Fentanyl patches applied to the skin; Fentora - used when cancer patients become resistant to other pain relievers, and prescribed as a small dissolvable pill. Lazanda - a nasal spray for cancer patients who experience extreme pain that comes and goes. Onsolis - For cancer pain, Onsolis is a dissolvable film that sticks to the side of your cheek and melts away in 30 minutes. Sublimaze - an IV or shot prescribed after surgery. Subsys - used for cancer patients who have become resistant to other pain relievers, Subsys is a liquid sprayed under the tongue.

Names for street Fentanyl include Apache, China Girl, China White, Dance Fever, Fenty, Friend, Goodfella, Jackpot, Murder 8, TNT, and Tango & Cash. It’s important to remember that Fentanyl is often used to cut other drugs or disguised to look like other drugs such as prescription pills (examples: Percocet, Oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall), methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin can be found in virtually any illicit drug.

Legally, Fentanyl is produced through complex chemical synthesis by pharmaceutical companies, in safe, controlled, regulated environments. Illegally, it can be synthesized in secret “labs” such as someone’s basement, garage or kitchen, resulting in unpredictable and very dangerous products.

Pharmaceutical Fentanyl can come as patches, lozenges, pills, or injections. Illicit Fentanyl is usually found as a fine white to off-white powder, which can be mistaken for and easily mixed into or passed off for other drugs like cocaine or heroin. It’s important to remember that Fentanyl is often used to cut other drugs or disguised to look like other drugs such as prescription pills (examples: Percocet, ,Oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall), methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and can be found in virtually any illicit drug. It is undetectable in those forms; you can’t see, taste, or smell it and tiny amounts are deadly.

Fentanyl is highly potent because it binds very strongly to the body's opioid receptors, which are involved in pain relief, pleasure, and control of reward and addiction pathways. A lethal amount will cause a user to stop breathing.

Fentanyl is extremely dangerous due to its high potency, in tiny, undetectable amounts, often resulting in accidental overdose/drug poisoning, especially when mixed with other drugs and the user doesn’t know they are taking it.

Availability issues may stem from a lack of awareness, funding, or regulatory barriers. However, many regions are working to increase accessibility due to the rise in opioid overdoses.

Most people are unaware they are taking Fentanyl when it's mixed with other drugs. Some may use it for its powerful opioid effects, seeking relief from pain or pursuing a high. Addiction also plays a significant role.

We can help! We ACT (Amplify, Clarify and Team up) to Beat Fentanyl.You can too! Join us. Ask your employers, schools, community, church and government leaders for training and resources. Tune into and support public health campaigns, educational programs in schools and communities, and share information about the risks and dangers of Fentanyl. Educate yourself and others about the dangers of Fentanyl, advocate for policy changes, support harm reduction strategies like the distribution of NARCAN, and promote access to addiction treatment services. In our own families, workplaces and communities, the most powerful thing we can do is stay informed, share information and talk about it with those we care about. Beat Fentanyl was conceived and built to help. There are so many ways to get involved. Reach us through one of the many contact forms on this site and share our site with others.

Signs include pinpoint pupils, extreme drowsiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, slow and shallow breathing, a choking sound when breathing that can be mistaken for snoring, blue-tinted lips or nails, cold and clammy skin, and sometimes seizures. These symptoms require immediate medical attention. Call 911, administer Narcan. If breathing stops, begin CPR with rescue breaths.

Look for symptoms like severe sleepiness or inability to wake up, slow, noisy or troubled breathing, small, pinpoint pupils, blue or cold skin, and limp body. These symptoms require immediate medical attention. Call 911, administer Narcan. If breathing stops, begin CPR with rescue breaths.

You can’t. As early as 2006, the CDC defined poisoning as: unintentional, also known as "accidental," when no harm is intended. Unintentional drug poisoning includes drug overdoses resulting from drug misuse, drug abuse, and taking too much of a drug for medical reasons. Currently, overdose is often used to refer to intentionally taking a drug, but accidentally taking too much. Since the amount taken (an overdose) is toxic/poisonous and since there is no safe or recommended dose of an illegal drug, the words overdose and poisoning are often used interchangeably. While all overdoses are also poisonings, not all poisonings are overdoses. When a user was deceived and was sold or given something different than what they intended to take, that is a ”Poisoning” and more and more frequently is resulting in dealers facing charges in Fentanyl related deaths. Physically, the result is the same. Both are severe and life-threatening, often leading to unconsciousness, respiratory failure, other severe medical consequences and death.

Call emergency services (911) immediately. If you have naloxone (NARCAN), administer it according to the instructions. Keep the person awake and breathing if possible. If breathing stops, begin rescue breaths and stay with them until help arrives.