What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients, applied in a patch on the skin and absorbed slowly through contact. Because of its powerful opioid properties, Fentanyl is also diverted for abuse. All forms of Fentanyl can be dangerous and it’s important to know the difference.
The defining crisis of our time…
In 2019 there were only 18 fentanyl-based cases filed by the DA’s office. By 2022 there were 635, an increase of 3,428%.”
What The DA Is Doing
Street Names:
Fetty, Fettucini, Fet, Fent, F, Freddy, Fenty, Apace, China Girl, China Plates, Cookie Dough, Pink Dough, Alfredo, Fredo, Talco, Polvo.
Why are they abused?
Abusing Fentanyl can cause an intense, short-term high, temporary feelings of euphoria, slowed respiration and reduced blood pressure, but also nausea, fainting, seizures, and death.
Fake Pills, Real Danger
DEA lab testing reveals that as many as six out of every ten fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. Most fentanyl samples being received come in a form that resemble drugs that drug users are already familiar with like a white powder or tablets made to look like other pharmaceutical pills. Without laboratory testing, the public would not know that these materials do not contain the drug(s) they are expecting, and the results are often deadly.
Drug dealers don’t sell on street corners anymore.
They sell to anyone on social media.
Fatal Overdoses report
Chief Medical Examiner
Noteworthy Trends:
- The total number of overdoses in 2023 represent a 5% decrease since 2022 and a 8% decrease since 2021.
- The number of fentanyl related overdoses decreased by 2% compared to the previous year.
- Methamphetamine related overdoses decreased by 25% compared to the previous year.
- The highest number of overdose deaths in 2023 were between ages 31 to 40 years (67 deaths).
The highest number of fentanyl overdose deaths were between ages 31 and 40 (58 deaths).
What is the effect of fentanyl on the body?
Similar to other opioid analgesics, fentanyl produces effects such as: relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression.
Get Narcan
Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a safe and legal antidote to reverse an opioid overdose.
If a loved on or someone you know may be at risk of an overdose, call Ventura County Behavioral Health about getting an Overdose Rescue Kit. If you are eligible for a kit, they will train you online on how to use Naloxone. You will then be instructed on how to pick up a kit by appointment at one of the VCBH locations.
Helpful Links
- One Pill Can Kill (www.dea.gov/onepill)
- Fentanyl & Fake Pills (www.venturacountyresponds.org/preventing-overdose/fentanyl-fake-pills)
- Fentanyl is Forever (www.fentanylventuracounty.org)
- Naloxone FAQ (www.venturacountyresponds.org/preventing-overdose/naloxone)
- County Opioid Abuse Suppression Taskforce (www.coastventuracounty.org)
- Controlled Chemical Substance Program (https://oag.ca.gov/bi/ccsp)
- Safe Choices Ventura County (www.safechoicesvc.org)