Facts About Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that can slow or stop a person’s breathing during an overdose. Understanding the risks, recognizing warning signs, and knowing how to respond can help protect you and the people you love.

How Strong Is Fentanyl?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this drug is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Medical professionals use pharmaceutical forms during surgery and to treat severe pain.

However, illegally made fentanyl is linked to most related overdose harms. Drugs sold illegally can contain unpredictable amounts, making even a single counterfeit pill potentially deadly.

Hidden Risks in Other Drugs and Counterfeit Pills

Illegally made fentanyl can be mixed into heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. It can also appear in counterfeit pills designed to resemble prescription medications, including oxycodone or Xanax.

You cannot reliably detect it by sight, smell, or taste. Someone may believe they are taking a familiar drug without realizing it contains a powerful opioid.

Learn more about the dangers of counterfeit pills and why appearance alone cannot establish whether a pill is safe.

Signs of an Opioid Overdose

Act immediately if someone shows these warning signs:

• Very small, “pinpoint” pupils
• Unconsciousness or inability to wake up
• Slow, shallow, or absent breathing
• Choking, gurgling, or unusual snoring sounds
• A limp body
• Cold, clammy skin or discoloration around the lips and nails

If you are unsure whether someone is experiencing an overdose, treat it as an emergency.

What to Do in an Emergency

Call 911 immediately and give naloxone, such as Narcan, if available. Follow the product instructions. If normal breathing does not return after two to three minutes, give another dose.

Additionally, if the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, follow the dispatcher’s instructions for CPR or rescue breathing. If they are breathing normally but remain unconscious, place them on their side to help prevent choking.

Stay until emergency responders arrive, even if the person wakes up. Naloxone’s effects are temporary, and overdose symptoms can return.

Read the CDC’s naloxone guidance and visit our Narcan nasal spray resource to learn more.

How to Protect Yourself and Others

Discuss these facts about fentanyl with friends and family, especially teens and young adults. Take prescription medication only as directed and obtain it from a licensed pharmacy.

Knowing the warning signs, keeping naloxone available, and responding quickly can help save a life.

Learn more about fentanyl at justthinktwice.gov.