Alarming numbers continue to worsen as more Americans than ever grapple with addiction across Kentucky and the nation. Fentanyl is only making matters worse.
According to reports, synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are to blame for at least two-thirds of all overdose deaths. Nationally, deaths resulting from an overdose crossed the 100,000 threshold last year.
The synthetic opioid is 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine.
“The advent of fentanyl’s integration into street-level use has dramatically changed the landscape of addiction, making this the most dangerous time in history to use drugs,” said Pat Fogarty, Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) Senior Vice President of Operations. “Nearly all illicit drugs are potentially contaminated with fentanyl, making any kind of drug use potentially deadly.”
Fentanyl is involved in more American youth drug deaths than heroin, meth, cocaine, and prescription drugs combined. National investigators say it is a cheap but potent drug, with its profitability prompting dealers to make fake pills, including Adderall. An estimated 250 to 500 million pills made with fentanyl are in circulation in the U.S. at any time.
FENTANYL: QUICK FACTS
- Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, and other accidents.
- Illicit fentanyl is being used to make fake prescription pills and is also found in common street drugs like cocaine, MDMA and heroin.
- Often consumed unknowingly by users, illicit fentanyl is driving the recent increase in U.S. overdose deaths.
- Fake pills have been found in all 50 states. Assume any prescription pill you see online is fake, including Oxy, Percocet, Adderall and Xanax.
- Fake pills are the main reason fentanyl-involved deaths are fastest growing amongst youth.
- Fentanyl is involved in more American youth deaths than heroin, meth, cocaine, benzos, and RX drugs COMBINED.
