“I’m calling his name…he’s not replying.”

Allyssia Paloma shares the memory of the moment she found her brother, Mikael, who died from fentanyl poisoning. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly.

Explore our Fentanyl Awareness pages and get the facts about the dangers of illicit fentanyl and how to protect yourself and the ones you love.

The Facts About Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Doctors prescribe pharmaceutical fentanyl to treat severe pain, but illicit fentanyl is sold on the black market. It is a white powder that can be easily added to other drugs and is classified as a narcotic.

Drugs commonly laced with fentanyl:

  • Opioids

    • Hydrocodone (Vicodin)

    • Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet)

    • Alprazolam (Xanax)

  • Stimulants

    • Amphetamines (Adderall)

    • Methamphetamines

    • Cocaine

  • Hallucinogens

    • MDMA (Ecstasy, Molly)

When illicit fentanyl is mixed with other drugs by amateurs in clandestine labs, the process is imprecise, which leads to highly varied and deceptive products. Just 2mg can be deadly, and may not be evenly distributed throughout the product – this is known as the “chocolate chip cookie” effect.

Image: fentanyl powder | Safer Sacramento

According to the DEA, 6 in 10 fake prescription pills bought online or on the streets are laced with fentanyl. If your drugs are laced, you won't be able to see it, taste it, or smell it.

Effects of Fentanyl

Fentanyl works by rapidly binding to the body’s opioid receptors and changing the way that the brain and nervous system respond to pain. Physical effects include:

  • Confusion

  • Drowsiness

  • Dizziness

  • Euphoria

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Changed in pupil size (pinpoint pupils)

  • Cold and clammy skin

  • Respiratory distress and failure

  • Hypoxia

  • Coma

Finding Zach

When Chris Didier found his son, Zach, slumped over on his desk with his head in his arm, he initially thought he was just sleeping. But something didn’t feel right, so he took a closer look – Zach died of fentanyl poisoning.

Fentanyl poisoning can stop people’s breathing before other noticeable changes and before they lose consciousness or realize what is happening. This lack of oxygen decreases the oxygen available to the brain, a condition called hypoxia, which can lead to permanent brain damage or death.

Fentanyl is Widespread

Transnational criminal drug organizations (TCOs) are producing Illicitly manufactured fentanyl in record amounts. By the end of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills. This represents about 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl in 2022. Since fentanyl is very cheap to produce, these drug networks are making record profits and exploiting our borders to target American communities.

Fentanyl on the Internet

According to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), 20 new illegal pharmacies appear on the web each day. These claim to be authentic and to offer prescriptions with the approval of a “doctor.” They advertise with spam emails and pop-ups and offer direct-to-consumer shipments of the product. If you suspect an illegal pharmacy, you can file a report 24/7 with the DEA.

Drug dealers also exploit social media platforms to market their product, using cryptic messages and emojis to avoid detection.

To learn more about fentanyl – its production, distribution, and dangers – and how it’s impacting our communities, visit our documentary blog series, The Ripple Effect.

 (1) Center for Disease Control (CDC).  The Facts About Fentanyl. https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/pdf/fentanyl_fact_sheet_508c.pdf

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