The Real Dangers of This Invisible Drug

Get the Facts About Fentanyl

  • 100x

    stronger than morphine1

  • 50x

    stronger than heroin8

  • 2

    salt-sized grains of fentanyl can be fatal9

  • 1.4x

    greater chance of dying by an opioid overdose than in a car crash2

  • 560%

    increase in opioid overdoses since 2015 primarily due to the increase of fentanyl in Illinois6

Over
1 in 4

The DEA found lethal doses of fentanyl in 27% of tablets seized in the U.S. between January and March 2019.10

Fentanyl can be found in illegal drugs such as counterfeit pills and powders like cocaine.

Fentanyl is Cut into Other Drugs

This illicitly produced, synthetic opioid is dangerously strong to consume. Because it’s 20x cheaper to make, the number of illegal drugs being cut or laced with fentanyl has grown because drug organizations can use less, increase the potency, and make bigger profits.12

No one—not you, your dealer, or the person you get it from—can tell if your pill or powder is laced with fentanyl.

It’s Nearly Impossible to Tell the Difference

Fentanyl is impossible to see, smell, or even taste. It’s also hard to mix evenly so no hit, bump, or pill has the same amount. This inconsistency means you can’t predict how much is in what you are taking, or trust that what you’re taking is clean. Since it only takes 2 grains of fentanyl to fatally overdose, this complete lack of control over the dose is even more troubling.

Naloxone (Narcan®) is a life-saving overdose reversal medication that works on all opioids, including fentanyl.

Naloxone Can Reverse Fentanyl Overdoses

People don’t mean to overdose on fentanyl. It usually happens because they didn’t know and couldn’t tell fentanyl was laced in their drugs. Because fentanyl overdoses can be instantaneous, you should never use drugs alone and always have naloxone on hand.





If You Think Someone
Is Overdosing

Call 911 immediately and administer naloxone. The Good Samaritan Law in Illinois legally protects the person having an overdose and the people who help.

NEXT:Life-Saving Naloxone

An accidental overdose does not have to be fatal. Overdoses can be reversed with the life-saving drug naloxone. See why anyone who is taking prescription or non-prescription opioids should also get naloxone (Narcan®) from their pharmacy.

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