Fentanyl: What it is and why it's claiming the lives of dozens of Delawareans
Drug overdoses are ravaging Delaware this year, claiming an estimated 193 lives so far, according to the state health department.
Officials believe the bulk of those overdoses are the result of fentanyl-laced heroin – or at times, straight fentanyl – which looks identical to heroin but has about 50 to 100 times the potency.
Here's what you need to know about the synthetic, pain-killing drug.
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is an opioid used to treat pain and often used in conjunction with other pain medication and anesthesia. Traditionally, it was often used to treat cancer patients and better manage pain.
Drug companies offered it as a lozenge, a sublingual to be placed under the tongue, a tablet, a film, or a buccal tablet that dissolves in the mouth, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
But when people began illegally manufacturing it, it made its way to the street.
Today, the white, powdery substance is often mixed with heroin or sold as heroin because the two look so similar.
DELAWARE'S DRUG CRISIS
Why the spike in overdoses?
Fentanyl is considered 50 to 100 times more powerful than heroin, but those buying the drugs often don't know fentanyl is mixed with it.
The state has seen a huge spike in the number of drug overdose deaths with fentanyl present.
In 2017, about 61 percent of the overdose deaths in Delaware involved fentanyl, according to state data, and in most overdose deaths, multiple substances were reported.
Other top substances reported were heroin and cocaine, both of which are hard to distinguish from street fentanyl.
The drug is especially harmful because its potency makes it able to be absorbed through the skin. First responders now take extra precautions at crime scenes when dealing with potential heroin overdoses and no longer field test drugs because of the rise in fentanyl.
How to spot an overdose
Delaware has a 911/Good Samaritan Law, which protects those reporting an overdose and those in medical distress from arrest for low-level drug crimes. If you see someone overdosing, call 911.
Here are some signs of a person who may be experiencing an overdose.
- Drowsiness or "nodding out"
- Trouble breathing
- Difficult to wake or very drowsy
- Weak pulse
- Blue or ashen skin
- Loud or erratic snoring
Officials are also encouraging those with loved ones in active drug use or those in contact with people actively using heroin or opioids to carry the overdose-reversing medication, naloxone.
This medication is available at pharmacies throughout Delaware thanks to a standing order from health officials which makes it accessible to the general public without a personalized prescription.
Those looking to obtain it need to complete a short training on how to use it. The good news is that the medication has no negative effects if given to someone not experiencing an opioid overdose.
Struggling with addiction? Here's how to get help
New Castle County hotline: 800-652-2929
Kent and Sussex counties hotline: 800-345-6785
PERSONAL STORIES OF ADDICTION
Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.