Fentanyl

Fentanyl’s extreme potency, widespread use in counterfeit pills, and presence in other drugs make it the leading cause of drug deaths in the U.S. Its addictive nature and overdose risks demand urgent action and effective rehabilitation efforts.

After several years of being plagued by fentanyl deaths, new synthetic opioids are moving into the American illicit drug market. As seizures of these drugs and overdose deaths mount, it's possible to detect the brief life cycle of these drugs, where one new synthetic opioid quickly replaces the last one that was taking lives.

Fentanyl's rise as the dominant opioid stems from its low cost, potency, synthetic formula, and deceptive tactics by traffickers. Now tied to 75% of overdose deaths, its prevalence highlights the urgent need for action to save any person who might encounter this drug.

How long does it take to become addicted? It can happen in just days with substances like opioids and methamphetamine, while others like alcohol or marijuana may take years. Early use, especially in adolescence, dramatically increases the risk. Understanding how addiction forms is crucial, and seeking rehab immediately is vital for recovery.

New synthetic drugs are the wave of the future—and the present. Every year, a long list of new drugs is detected by law enforcement. Buyers may not even know what they are getting as these new substances may be camouflaged. This ignorance can result in their death.

Speedballing is not a new trend, but it is a trend that is changing and becoming more dangerous. Unfortunately, as more people seek to mix stimulant drugs with opioids or “speedball,” more people will die from overdoses caused by such lethal cocktails. And with the ever-expanding addition of fentanyl into the drug supply, addicts are at even greater risk.

Illicit drugs may pose far greater risks to your lung health than you realize, triggering conditions like pneumonia, emphysema, and even asphyxia. From alcohol to heroin, the ten substances discussed in this article impair breathing, set the stage for infection and dysfunction, and can easily turn deadly. Seeking help is crucial for those affected by addiction.

Cocaine addiction is on the rise, as are cocaine-related deaths. Cocaine has also made headlines recently, given that fentanyl is increasingly mixed into cocaine batches and sold to addicts without them knowing. The result? Across the nation, people are being exposed to readily available fentanyl-tainted cocaine...

Pink cocaine is a dangerous, unpredictable drug mixture that can contain the synthetic drug 2C-B plus ketamine, MDMA, or other substances. Its effects range from seizures to hallucinations or even death. Recent incidents, including a fatal crash in Miami, highlight the hazards related to its use.

A 2023 study revealed the alarming emergence of Fetal Fentanyl Syndrome (FFS), where prenatal exposure to fentanyl has been linked to severe birth defects and developmental delays in infants. Researchers have identified common symptoms, including abnormal head size, cleft palate, and joint deformities, among others. The study highlights the urgent need for public awareness and preventive measures to address a growing and preventable health crisis.

In 2020, Oregon passed decriminalization legislation to reduce the harmful effects of the addiction-to-prison pipeline and the failed war on drugs. However, new data shows that the implementation of the state’s program fell short of properly incentivizing addicts to seek treatment. The result was a less effective plan than intended and addicts continuing to use drugs.

Recently, the United States White House officially labeled xylazine-tainted fentanyl strains as an “emerging threat” in the United States, which means it is a problem that, although not fully developed, is still a critical issue...

New and dangerous trends manifesting in the illicit drug use community reflect a dire need for addicts to seek treatment now.

When illicit fentanyl production first became a serious problem in the United States, it was almost entirely a trafficking problem, with the fentanyl being made in Mexico and China and then trafficked to the U.S. But according to recent DEA reports, many clandestine labs have cropped up on U.S. soil, labs which are making the potent synthetic opioid and distributing it locally, especially in the form of counterfeit pills.

New research shows that adolescent Americans, who had been experiencing a drop in drug use for part of the 21st century, saw their overdose death rate double in just one year, 2020. Experts believe that the recent spike in teen overdose deaths have been driven almost entirely by fentanyl overdoses.

With fentanyl involved in 81% of adolescent overdose deaths—often disguised as common medications like Xanax or Adderall—a much better understanding of this threat is needed by parents, teachers, and others. These counterfeit pills are leading to fatal outcomes, especially among young men, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and prevention.

Researchers at the University of New England found that the rate of opioid-related cardiac arrests has risen dramatically and is now on par with the rate of cardiac arrest from other causes. The research sheds light on yet another major health risk connected to opioid addiction, i.e., the risk for suffering a potentially fatal heart complication.

There’s much discussion about saving lives from drugs. But what would it take? It’s time to take a good hard look at the steps that would have to be taken to bring about a drug-free nation. The various fronts on which this battle would need to be fought are reviewed and evaluated.

A new research paper published by the CDC tracked a 300% increase in overdose deaths caused by fentanyl between 2016 and 2021. According to the study’s authors, this is the single sharpest increase in drug-related deaths in such a short amount of time since America’s addiction epidemic began in the early 2000s.

A survey out of New York City found something quite alarming. According to the survey, about 80% of IV drug users in New York City tested positive for fentanyl, but only 18% intended to use that specific drug. These findings showcase the harmful issues of fentanyl being laced into the drug supply, how most addicts don’t go looking for this drug, and how many users end up getting it in their system anyway, almost always without knowing.

While the entire world experienced a drop in human life expectancy in the last two years, the drop in the United States was much more pronounced than the global average, leading many experts to believe overdose deaths had an alarming effect on American mortality rates.

Alarm bells are ringing across public health and research sectors from the east coast to the west and everywhere in between. Drug-related fatalities continue to rise, with no apparent end in sight. Yet drug overdoses are preventable, and there are effective tools for combating drug addiction.

Opioid addiction has stood at the center of the American drug addiction crisis since the late 1990s when pharmaceutical companies began aggressively promoting opioid painkillers to doctors and patients. But what is the scope of opioid addiction today?

A recent study has shown that since 2020, youth harm from drug abuse has skyrocketed. Further, this harm has occurred in a very peculiar way. While overall drug use rates have mostly stayed the same for young adult demographics, the harm from drug use (accidents, injuries, overdoses, and fatalities) has skyrocketed. Primarily because of the types of drugs being used, substance abuse is now far more dangerous for young people than it used to be.