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Let’s reverse the overdose crisis.
You know what doesn’t make sense? Countless people dying from fentanyl overdoses when we have the power to help – when we have facts that can teach us how to stay safe. We all have the power to save lives and reverse overdoses.
The facts on fentanyl
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50X
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, up to 50 times stronger than heroin and a whopping 100 times more potent than morphine.
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Did you know that a speck of fentanyl, an amount smaller than a raindrop or a few grains of salt, could literally kill you?
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Fentanyl is sneaky: you can’t see, taste, or smell it. Remember, fentanyl is an opioid. Many pills or powders sold as illicit drugs* may contain fentanyl – even if they’re sold as something else. Fentanyl makes illicit drugs more dangerous than they’ve ever been.
We’ve seen it in so-called “party drugs” like MDMA and cocaine, “study drugs” like fake Adderall, and everything in between – yup, even counterfeit pills that look like legitimate prescription drugs, including Xanax and oxy.
Long story short? Unless it’s prescribed by a clinician and administered by a pharmacist, don’t trust it.
In California, drug overdose was the leading cause of death among 25 to 54-year-olds in 2022, with the highest rates of overdose among those aged 30-39.
*An illicit drug refers to drugs that are illegal (e.g., heroin, cocaine, etc.) or pills not obtained from a pharmacy (e.g., fake Xanax, fake Adderall, etc.)
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Test substances, not fate.
Grab and use some fentanyl test to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs. If used correctly, they give you a simple yes or no on whether fentanyl’s present — but not how much. Caution: a negative result does not necessarily mean your drugs are safe to use. Follow the directions carefully. Most fentanyl test strips on the market cost one dollar per strip, and free or low-cost test strips are also available at California’s syringe services programs (SSPs).
Another thing to consider when testing your drugs is that when fentanyl is mixed with other drugs, it is never mixed evenly. Think of drugs like a chocolate chip cookie: some cookies have lots of chips, while some may have only a few. In some cookies, the chips are on one side of the cookie and not the other. If you only take a bite of a piece of a cookie, then you could get a piece without chips. Similarly, in the case of drugs, the powder from one side of a baggie or on the edge of a pressed pill may contain no fentanyl at all, yet the other side—or another pill—may contain a deadly dose. This is why you need to thoroughly mix and test every bit of drug you intend to consume.
You can find more information from the California Department of Public Health.
Learn about treatment resources and harm reduction practices (acting in alliance with people who use drugs for safer and managed drug use).
How To Use: Fentanyl Test Strips
You can find more information about fentanyl test strips from the California Department of Public Health. Learn about treatment resources and harm reduction practices (acting in alliance with people who use drugs for safer and managed drug use).
Recognizing an opioid overdose
How To
Stay safe while saving lives
California’s Good Samaritan law protects those giving emergency medical care at the scene of a medical emergency, including giving naloxone. This means if you act in good faith to help someone who’s overdosing, you’re protected from getting in trouble. You should also know that fentanyl is dangerous when it is consumed, which means you cannot overdose through inhalation or by touching someone who may be overdosing.
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Inform your community
Knowledge = power. Fentanyl overdoses are preventable. Join us in learning about the risks of fentanyl and how to prevent overdoses.
Get informed today: FactsFightFentanyl.org