Since 2019, fentanyl-involved overdose deaths have risen 437% in the state, according to a report published from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. The number of pills seized and positive crime lab tests of fentanyl have also increased steadily. Utah has seen a surge in fentanyl-involved deaths according to recently released data for 2023. Though other parts of the country have seen fatal drug overdoses drop, that has not been the case for Utah and other states in the West. Another reason fentanyl is so dangerous is that many people are simply unaware of this ongoing threat. According to the CDC, man-made opioids like fentanyl are fueling the majority of overdose deaths in the United States.
In 2023, a growing backlash against “de-stigmatizing” drug use
Β-funaltrexamine was shown to inhibit both fentanyl-induced analgesia and lethality71. Overdose-related concentrations of fentanyl were shown to block human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channels in ventricular myocytes that were isolated from neonatal rats, which may contribute to fentanyl-related overdose death or sudden death72. Experts told CBS News that touching fentanyl powder will not cause an overdose. In powder form, the way it’s almost always found in the illicit drug supply, the drug cannot absorb through the skin, said Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist, emergency physician and addiction medicine specialist at the Cleveland Medical Center. In Massachusetts, for example, from 2013 to 2014, 32 percent of opioid overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
Nature of Deaths
It blocks opioid receptors and its most dangerous side effect is respiratory depression (slowed or absent breathing), which can quickly lead to coma and death. Users may not realize the street drug they are buying from a dealer contains this potentially lethal compound. Legal fentanyl is a synthetic opioid medicine typically used to treat patients with long-lasting severe pain or severe pain following surgery. For control of cancer pain, fentanyl is only given to patients who are “opioid-tolerant”, meaning they are used to the narcotic effects of fentanyl and have already been taking around-the-clock opioids for severe cancer pain. The CDC recorded approximately 73,838 fentanyl overdose deaths in 2022, or nearly 102 times the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ deaths in 1999. Many reports in the media have suggested that illicit fentanyl encountered by first responders such as law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and others can be easily absorbed through intact skin and lead to an overdose.
What happens if I miss a dose?
And various substances aside from fentanyl — both legal and illegal — can cause symptoms like drowsiness and sedation. Some of the symptoms of a fentanyl overdose are nonspecific, which means that they can be caused by something other than an overdose. There are two types of fentanyl – pharmaceutical fentanyl and illegally made fentanyl, both are synthetic (lab made) opioids. Opioid overdose is a life-threatening emergency and requires immediate medical attention.
But Marino, the toxicologist and emergency room physician at Case Western Reserve University, believes exaggerated fears of fentanyl make it harder for police to do their jobs protecting the public. Local officials declined NPR’s requests for an interview, as did Bannick. Speaking with WKMG, a television station in Orlando, she said she felt lucky to be alive.
- Although opioid deaths plateaued in Los Angeles County in 2023, according to data, the country is still in the “worst overdose crisis in history,” said Gary Tsai, the director of the substance abuse prevention and control division at the L.A.
- In 2022, around 73,838 people in the United States died from a drug overdose that involved fentanyl.
- The opioid crisis is likely attributable to illicitly manufactured fentanyl and its analogs around the world, especially when they are mixed with heroin and other drugs, and the route of administration41,42.
- “I can say very definitively and confidently that these are not fentanyl overdoses. My best guess would be that these are an anxiety or fear reaction,” said Marino.
Hopes dashed for a quick solution to the overdose crisis
In addition, the researchers gathered information from death records to track fatalities that occurred during the same time period. Fentanyl overdoses have been on the rise in recent years, and health officials now consider illicit opioid use to be a national health crisis. And while there are many myths sensationalizing the dangers of fentanyl, the truth is that when not prescribed by a medical professional, fentanyl can be a highly dangerous substance.
Prescription forms of fentanyl
- Seizures of fentanyl have escalated in recent years and the synthetic opioid is common on American streets.
- Before harmful and deadly drugs such as fentanyl and xylazine reach the streets of cities such as Los Angeles, they must first make their way into the country.
- Major medical groups have also issued statements about the risk — or lack thereof — from touching fentanyl.
- The issue has become a major flashpoint for politicians, with many Republican politicians blasting the Biden administration for failing to stop fentanyl smugglers.
- Despite the waning availability of prescription opioids, total overdose deaths involving any opioid more than tripled during the same period.
Drug dealers may mix fentanyl with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, meth, and MDMA to increase the drugs’ effects — sometimes without the user’s knowledge. NPR reached out to the Tavares Florida police department and Officer Bannick asking for toxicology reports or other information confirming she was affected by fentanyl. But many experts say these officers aren’t experiencing fentanyl or opioid overdoses. A structured data extraction form was developed and piloted with two included papers and finalised within the research team (see Table 1). In addition to the demographic details of the paper, data on cause of death, dose, and route(s) of administration were extracted by two reviewers independently.
Always keep fentanyl in a safe place away from children, teens, visitors, pets and from anyone for whom it has not been prescribed. Tell your healthcare provider if you live in a home where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs. If your skin is exposed to illicit fentanyl, you should wash the area with soap and water right away. Do not use alcohol based hand sanitizers or bleach; they do not effectively wash opioids off skin and may increase skin absorption of fentanyl. The presence of unconsciousness or a coma, pupil constriction, and respiratory depression (slowed or absent breathing) occurring together strongly suggests an overdose with an opioid like fentanyl.
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These patients need to be informed about the signs and symptoms of how long does iv fentanyl stay in your system respiratory depression and chest wall rigidity. This will enable them to respond to these signs in a rapid manner, alerting emergency services and preventing loss of life. The quality of case studies and case series included in this article are variable and results should therefore be interpreted with caution.
Related/similar drugs
“The risk of clinically significant exposure to emergency responders is extremely low,” they concluded. “It’s a real mental health problem for officers. It’s just not necessary to have that fear.” Officials walk past images of illegal drugs outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building on May 13, 2021, in Los Angeles.