Fentanyl Front & Center On August 21st 2024
Wednesday August 21st 2024, is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention says synthetic opioids like fentanyl contribute to nearly 70 percent of overdose deaths each year.
To combat the growing crisis, urgent action is needed, and the California Poison Control System (CPCS) urges you to raise awareness about fentanyl and its deadly consequences.
International Overdose Awareness Day is also helping to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl overdose, which is a worldwide public health crisis. Held on August 31st, it is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdoses and spread the message that drug overdose is preventable.
“Fentanyl is a potent pain medication that can be a safe medicine or a deadly poison,” says Dr. Rais Vohra, Medical Director for the Fresno/Madera Division of CPCS. “It has safely been used as a pain killer in medical settings for many years. However, in recent years the drug has been synthesized illegally and turned into a recreational drug of abuse, which often leads to overdoses.”
- Fentanyl is about 50 times more potent than heroin and about 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the (CDC).
- The drug’s extreme potency is a reason it is often added to other street drugs. As a result, those drugs can contain deadly levels of fentanyl—just 2 milligrams can be lethal—and it’s almost impossible to detect as people can’t see, taste, or smell it.
- In fact, the Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) found that 7 out of every 10 pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
“Illicit fentanyl is often mixed into other street drugs such as methamphetamines, heroin, and cocaine. But people don’t necessarily know that and they don’t know how much fentanyl is in their drug, and that can make for a deadly combination that all too often leads to tragedy,” continues Dr. Vohra.
Fentanyl and other opioid overdoses are life-threatening emergencies and require immediate medical attention, so:
- Call 911 immediately.
- Administer Naloxone (Narcan®), if available.
“There are many organizations that are ready to give Naloxone free to anyone who asks for it and CPCS supports them for trying to get Naloxone into the hands of as many people as they can,” concludes Dr. Vohra.
For more information about fentanyl contact the CPCS 24-hour hotline at 1-800-222-1222.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid narcotic used in medicine, vial isolated on white background.
Photo from Elaine Murphy, Tellem Grody PR Aug 21st 2024
