What You Need to Know About Fentanyl

(NewsNation) — Overdose deaths in the U.S. have been increasing in recent years, many of which have been attributed to fentanyl.

Lawmakers have called for more action to address the fentanyl crisis, including preventing cartels from smuggling the drug across the southern border. There are also concerns that fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs, potentially causing overdoses in people who aren’t even aware they’re taking fentanyl.

Here’s what you need to know about the drug.

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a pain reliever.

What does fentanyl look like?

Fentanyl produced by pharmaceutical companies for legitimate use is usually delivered as a lozenge or patch applied to the skin. It can also be administered as an IV in hospital settings.

However, fentanyl can be made in many forms, including pills, powder, or liquid. Pills can be made to look like other opioid medications, and the powder can be mixed with other drugs, leading to people unknowingly taking the drug.

What is fentanyl used for?

The FDA has approved fentanyl for the treatment of severe pain, usually from advanced cancer or after surgery. It can also be used as an anesthetic.

How is fentanyl made?

Unlike morphine, which is produced from a specific variety of poppy flower, fentanyl is made in a laboratory using chemical precursors.

Why is fentanyl so dangerous?

Fentanyl is dangerous because of its potency, which makes it easy to overdose on, and because it can easily be used to lace other drugs or make them appear to be weaker prescription narcotics.

How long does fentanyl stay in your system?

Research has shown that fentanyl can stay in a person’s system for up to five days.

What does fentanyl do to you?

Fentanyl works on the receptors in the brain that control pain and emotion. In addition to reducing pain, it can also cause feelings of extreme happiness. As a person uses more fentanyl, it becomes harder to feel happiness without the drug, which helps fuel the cycle of addiction.

Fentanyl has a long list of side effects, including unconsciousness, breathing problems, and death.

How much fentanyl can kill?

The amount of fentanyl needed to kill someone varies based on a number of factors, including the person’s size and whether or not they’ve built up a tolerance to the drug. But doses as small as two milligrams can be deadly.

How are fentanyl overdoses treated?

Fentanyl, like other opioids, can be treated with naloxone. Naloxone is available without a prescription in all 50 states and comes in an injectable form used by healthcare professionals and a nasal spray that can be used by anyone.

Always call 911 if someone is experiencing an overdose. Although naloxone can reverse an overdose in an emergency, more treatment is needed.