DANGER SCALE
Fentanyl Laced Street Drugs
Fentanyl is an opiate-based drug that is 50 times more powerful than morphine. Fentanyl analogs like Carfentanil can be up to 10,000 times more powerful. In recent news, there have been fentanyl-related deaths due to other drugs laced with fentanyl, specifically cocaine. It’s showing up across the country, and because of the potency of fentanyl, it’s causing accidental overdoses to people who were not aware.
How are they dangerous?
There is no regulation with these substances being laced. If you remember our Pulse about Pill Presses, devices that produce counterfeit pills, this is a perfect example of a way these substances could be dangerously laced with street Fentanyl.
Additionally, people who use cocaine or Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, etc.) may not be as prepared as folks who use opioids. For example, people who use heroin regularly will have more of a tolerance to opiates, may have Narcan on hand, and be trained on how to use it, than those who use cocaine casually.