The overdoses that occurred in the year of 2016 has put fear amidst our country that showed us how deadly prescription medication really is. Most of the overdoses were thought to be mainly of oxycodone, but according to a recent health statistics report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Fentanyl is now the most commonly used drug in overdoses. Shockingly, Fentanyl was involved in approximately 29 percent of the 63,500 total overdoses in 2016.

Many people question why this has happened and want to know how Fentanyl has reared its ugly head in our communities. Some people abuse Fentanyl from a prescription while others can buy the patches on the street. Fentanyl has also become a substance added to heroin and cocaine before they are sold from a dealer to better the euphoric effects and more dangerously, increase the potency to make the risk of overdose more likely. Adding Fentanyl can make an already powerful drug have a 50 to 100 times higher potency than even that of morphine.

There are some substance abusers who are specifically looking for “speedballs” or a mightier opiate who wish to have Fentanyl included in their heroin or cocaine although many users have no idea what they are in for. Having Fentanyl laced drugs can either make them uncomfortable and sick during their high, cause them to overdose because the amount they used is unknowingly too excessive for their body, or all of the above.

Fentanyl is so powerful that it only takes a quarter milligram, .25 mg, to kill someone from misuse. To put that into perspective, a single Tylenol tablet has 325 milligrams. If we cut that tablet into 1300 pieces, one singular piece of those 1300 portions could kill someone depending on their body size, their tolerance, and the decision to basically play Russian roulette from Fentanyl abuse.

Fatal dosing is a major concern with Fentanyl that the health statistics report from the CDC confirms. Their findings were that prescription drugs were used more for suicides and Fentanyl and other illicit drugs mostly caused unintentional deaths through an overdose. With Fentanyl being an inexpensive as well as effective filler to mix with heroin and cocaine, people are also unknowingly getting addicted to the effects if they are not killed first by its potency. Simply stated, Fentanyl is not a drug that should be abused because one try can be deadly.   

If you or someone you know is in the depths of drug or alcohol addiction, The Kimberly Center is ready to assist you in a new way of living. By learning who you are without drugs and alcohol in your system, you can see how full life can be in your recovery.

Call us today to begin: 855-4-KCENTER (855-452-3683)