Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is typically used to treat severe pain or to manage pain after surgery. However, fentanyl has also gained notoriety as a dangerous and illicit drug that is responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths.
Dose of Reality: Get the Facts on Opioids
Fentanyl has been fraudulently sold as heroin for years, which has primarily affected adults with opioid use disorder. § Healthcare providers may prescribe naloxone to patients who are at an increased risk of opioid overdose or who have household members, including children, who are at risk for accidental ingestion or opioid overdose. Ask your primary healthcare provider about being prescribed naloxone if not automatically co-prescribed to you.
Allowing federal grant programs to purchase FTS helps create opportunities for people who use drugs to interact with community-based organizations who may also offer mental health and behavioral services a person needs. The number of overdose deaths in the U.S. from synthetic opioids doubled from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, 744 people from Washington died from an opioid related overdose and 198 of these deaths included fentanyl. A study published in August 2022 in the International Journal of Drug Policy used take-home test strips on more than 1,600 drug samples from 218 people.
Free Fentanyl Test Strips Now Available Statewide
Illicit Sources
- To buy his fentanyl, the man uses “darknet” sites, which are unlisted on search engines, rely on a special private browser for access, and don’t tie his username to his identity.
- Before using, wash or sanitize your hands and any surfaces used to prepare the drugs.
- It must be introduced into the bloodstream or a mucus membrane in order for someone to feel the effects.
- Inconsistent purity and potent cuts ranging from vet medicine (e.g. xylazine) to strong fentanyl analogues (e.g. carfentanil) are just some of the many results of the criminalization of people who use drugs.
When he receives it, he measures it out in water, which he says makes for greater accuracy. Now, for that amount, he can get enough fentanyl to last more than three weeks. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 2 Jan 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 16 Nov 2023), ASHP (updated 10 Jan 2024) and others. Based on previous legislation in some states, fentanyl test strips are classified as drug paraphernalia and are considered illegal.
Fentanyl Adulterated with Xylazine
One of the most common questions asked by those looking to buy fentanyl illicitly is: where can I buy fentanyl? Unfortunately, the answer is not as simple as walking into a store or going online. Illicit fentanyl is often sold on the black market by drug dealers who may mix it with other substances to increase profits. This makes buying fentanyl from these sources extremely dangerous, as you never truly know what you are getting.
More than 30 years of evidence looking at providing sterile syringes to people who inject drugs shows people will use drugs, whether or not they have access to clean supplies. If they don’t have access to clean syringes, they may reuse or share needles, which increases their risk for HIV, hepatitis C and wounds. Most fentanyl test strips are between 96% to nearly 100% accurate in detecting the presence of even small amounts of fentanyl. There’s no clear way to tell by sight, taste or smell that something has fentanyl. By testing their drugs, people can know what they’re taking and take steps to be safer, like getting Narcan.
Prevention resources
If there are two lines in the middle of the test strip, that indicates that the drugs do not contain any fentanyl. If there is only one line in the middle of the test strip, that means that the drugs do contain fentanyl. If you can’t test this way, you can add water to a very small amount of your drugs and test that solution. Teenagers and young adults are turning to Snapchat, TikTok and other social media apps to find Percocet, Xanax and other pills. The vast majority are laced with deadly doses of fentanyl, police say.
Online Marketplaces
Several states have made similar moves to remove testing strips from their drug paraphernalia lists. We partner with a number of local organizations to make sure Naloxone and test strips are available city-wide. Below are a few of our partners that are able to provide regular access to resources. It is important to use, store and dispose of prescription pain medication safely to prevent opioid misuse. UC San Francisco Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor in Clinical Pharmacy Tessa Rife-Pennington, PharmD, BCGP, works at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and with UCSF’s Addiction Research Program.
In recent years, there has been a rise in the availability of fentanyl on the dark web through online marketplaces. These websites operate on encrypted networks that allow users to buy and sell drugs anonymously. While this may seem like a convenient way to purchase fentanyl, it comes with significant risks. Not only is it illegal to buy fentanyl without a prescription, but there is also a high likelihood of receiving a counterfeit or tainted product.
It is important to note that buying fentanyl from illicit sources is illegal and highly dangerous. The best and safest way to obtain fentanyl is through a legitimate healthcare provider with a valid prescription.
Whether you are seeking fentanyl for legitimate medical purposes or are tempted to experiment with its euphoric effects, it is crucial to understand the risks associated with obtaining this powerful drug illicitly. Instead of taking chances with your health and well-being, it is recommended to seek help from a healthcare professional who can provide safe and legal access to fentanyl when needed.
