Facing Fentanyl Together
LP SADD student leaders are raising awareness for the fentanyl crisis affecting our community, state, and nation. Over 300 people die every day in the United States due to fentanyl-related overdoses.
What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug approximately 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. There are two types of fentanyl, pharmaceutical and illicitly manufactured. Pharmaceutical fentanyl's purpose is to relieve severe pain and is typically prescribed after surgery. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is distributed through the illegal-drug train. In the United States, two Mexican drug cartels are responsible for infiltrating this substance into our communities.
Illicit Fentanyl: The rise in synthetic opioid-induced overdoses is directly related to the manufacturing and distribution of illegal fentanyl. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs because of its potency. Lacing fentanyl with other drugs makes it cheaper, more powerful, addictive, and dangerous.
What's the danger? Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl is enough to be a lethal dose. For comparison, 2 milligrams is comparable to the size of the tip of a pencil. Other drugs, like heroin and methamphetamine, are being substituted with fentanyl. There is no way to know if the illicit drugs being taken contain lethal amounts of fentanyl. Counterfeit prescription pills are made to look like real ones laced with fentanyl.
Check out these videos created by SADD students
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