The dangers of fentanyl use

Now that you know more about fentanyl, let’s explore the serious, and often fatal, dangers of fentanyl use. Hover over each card to learn more.

Now that you know more about fentanyl, let’s explore the serious, and often fatal, dangers of fentanyl use. Tap each accordion to learn more.

Highly Addictive
Like other opioids, fentanyl is highly addictive - whether or not you use it legally. Why is this? Opioids not only alleviate pain, but they can also activate feelings of pleasure in the brain and body. The brain and body quickly develop a tolerance to opioids, meaning you will need to start taking more in order to activate those “feel good” receptors. The more you use, the more dependent you become, eventually leading to full blown addiction.
Risk of Overdose
Fentanyl can be deadly, even in small doses. Fentanyl itself is an especially strong opioid - 100 times stronger than morphine! Imagine mixing fentanyl with other powerful drugs. You have just increased your chances of a fatal overdose.
Undetectable
On the street, it has become increasingly popular to mix fentanyl with other drugs. This method keeps the drug production cheap, increasing profits. Mixing drugs this way is especially dangerous for many reasons. The fentanyl is often unevenly mixed, leading to some doses with extremely high amounts of fentanyl and others with none. Additionally, you can’t see, smell, or taste the fentanyl. At the end of the day, you don’t know how much fentanyl you are taking - if you know it’s there at all.

Over 150 people in the U.S. die each day from overdoses related to opioids like fentanyl.

Highly Addictive

Like other opioids, fentanyl is highly addictive – whether or not you use it legally. Why is this? Opioids not only alleviate pain, but they can also activate feelings of pleasure in the brain and body. The brain and body quickly develop a tolerance to opioids, meaning you will need to start taking more in order to activate those “feel good” receptors. The more you use, the more dependent you become, eventually leading to full blown addiction.

Fentanyl can be deadly, even in small doses. Fentanyl itself is an especially strong opioid – 100 times stronger than morphine! Imagine mixing fentanyl with other powerful drugs. You have just increased your chances of a fatal overdose.

On the street, it has become increasingly popular to mix fentanyl with other drugs. This method keeps the drug production cheap, increasing profits. Mixing drugs this way is especially dangerous for many reasons. The fentanyl is often unevenly mixed, leading to some doses with extremely high amounts of fentanyl and others with none. Additionally, you can’t see, smell, or taste the fentanyl. At the end of the day, you don’t know how much fentanyl you are taking – if you know it’s there at all.

Over 150 people in the U.S. die each day from opioid overdoses, including fentanyl.

If you can’t detect fentanyl, how can you protect yourself from it? In the next lesson, you will be introduced to fentanyl test strips.