Fentanyl Tainted Pills Bought On Social Media Cause Youth Drug Deaths To Soar

Fentanyl Training Videos

Do People Buy Fentanyl?

Detecting Fentanyl Saving Lives

The original COAST funding supported dashboard visualizations showing various local data to provide trend information and insights on opioid abatement opportunities. This involved creating a dashboard receiving data securely from various agencies, including naloxone administration by all pre-hospital care providers as well as the VCBH rescue kits issued to county residents. These data are used to monitor trends and assist in enhancing outreach and targeting prevention services. Fentanyl is sometimes added to drugs to increase a person’s high and can be disguised as heroin, cocaine, meth, marijuana, and counterfeit (fake) prescription pills. As a result, many people believe that they are purchasing a certain drug and do not know that they are buying fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths.

Effects Of Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a Schedule II prescription drug, and it is typically used to treat patients with severe drugs market pain or to manage pain after surgery. However, the drug is also illegally manufactured and distributed, and it is often mixed with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

The Dangers of Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a highly dangerous drug that can cause serious harm or even death, especially when it is taken in large amounts or when it is mixed with other substances. Because it is so potent, it can be difficult to measure and control dosages, and even small amounts can be lethal. In addition, because it is often mixed with other drugs, users may not be aware that they are taking fentanyl, which can increase the risk of overdose.

After a connection is made, the seller and buyer will transition to more secretive apps where messages either delete after sending or come encrypted to discuss the terms of the transaction. After that, payment is sent, drugs are shipped, and within minutes, the deal is done. The drug and fentanyl epidemic is moving to the social media sphere, and many parents do not know their kids are part of it.

The Illegality of Buying Fentanyl

It is illegal to buy fentanyl without a prescription, and it is also illegal to possess, distribute, or manufacture the drug. Penalties for these crimes can be severe, including fines, imprisonment, and dark web com probation. In addition, buying fentanyl from illegal sources can be dangerous, as the drug may be contaminated or mislabeled, and there is no way to know what other substances it may be mixed with.

The Prevalence of Fentanyl Use

One such individual was a 49-year-old Ohioan who sent roughly $2,500 to an online seller over the course of 10 months—from May 2016 to February 2017. Over that time period, he received 15 packages through the Postal Service on dates that closely corresponded to payments he made to an online seller. He died in early 2017 from “acute fentanyl intoxication.” He had received a package from an online seller just 30 days before his death. Finally, fentanyl test strips are legal to possess in Colorado, and they are excluded from the definition of drug paraphernalia. When someone overdoses on fentanyl, they first become sleepy, and it is hard to wake them.

The province already has prescription heroin and fentanyl replacement programs for people who are addicted to opioids. Some drug users told VICE World News that because fentanyl is the dominant street opioid, prescription heroin and other medical alternatives are not enough to keep their withdrawal and cravings at bay. Potent benzodiazepines, or tranquilizers, are now further contaminating the illicit fentanyl how to darknet market supply, causing more complicated overdoses. The fentanyl powder capsules being sold via PHS Community Services Society can be used to smoke, snort, or inject, the Globe reports. The unpredictability of the illicit drug supply is a major reason that overdose deaths are increasing. People often don’t know whether the pill or powder they bought from an illegitimate source contains a lethal dose of fentanyl.

Despite the dangers and illegality of fentanyl, the drug is widely used, particularly among people who use opioids. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl was involved in more than 50% of opioid-related overdose deaths in 2019. The drug is also a significant problem in the United States, where it is often mixed with heroin and other drugs and sold on the street.

Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Yes, there is a withdrawal management (or detox) provider for women called Prototypes in Ventura. Very soon there will be an impatient detox at VCMC which is projected to open in November 2023.

The Need for Education and Prevention

• However, it is a very dangerous substitute because of its marked potency and the inability for people to gauge dosages, resulting in frequent deadly overdoses.
• These strips can be a useful harm reduction tool for people who drugs.
• Naloxone is a medication that reverses opioid overdose so a person can breathe until EMS arrives.
• Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-45.