Fentanyl, also spelled fentanil, is a very potent synthetic opioid used as a pain medication. Together with other drugs, fentanyl is used for anesthesia. It is also used illicitly as a recreational drug, sometimes mixed with heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines or methamphetamine, among others. Its potentially deadly overdose effects can be neutralized by naloxone.
Fentanyl is commonly used to create counterfeit pills disguised as OxyContin, Xanax, Adderall, among others. It has a rapid onset and its effects generally last under two hours. Medically, it is used by injection, nasal spray, or skin patch, or absorbed through the cheek as a lozenge or tablet.
Fentanyl Side Effects
Common adverse effects of fentanyl include nausea, vomiting, constipation, itching, sedation, confusion, and injuries related to poor coordination. Serious adverse effects may include respiratory depression, hallucinations, serotonin syndrome, low blood pressure, or development of an opioid use disorder. Fentanyl works by activating μ-opioid receptors. It is around 100 times stronger than morphine and about 50 times stronger than heroin.
Fentanyl was first made by Paul Janssen in 1960 and approved for medical use in the United States in 1968. In 2015, 1,600 kilograms (3,500 pounds) were used in healthcare globally.
As of 2017, fentanyl was the most widely used synthetic opioid in medicine; in 2019, it was the 278th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines.
In 2021, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues accounted for most drug overdose deaths in the United States with 71,238 deaths. Compared with heroin, it is more potent, has higher profit margins, and, because it is compact, has simpler logistics. It can be cut into, or even replace entirely, the supply of heroin and other opiates.
The flow of fentanyl mainly originates in Chinese factories which produce fentanyl or fentanyl precursors; it is then trafficked to other countries for illicit production and sale. In the United States, finished fentanyl arrives primarily from Mexico smuggled by cartels
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