Highlights
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic (laboratory-made) opioid that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of severe pain associated with surgery or complex pain.1,2 For the past decade, fentanyl has been manufactured and distributed illegally (sometimes referred to as “illicitly manufactured fentanyl”) and other illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids increasingly found a place in drug shipments.3,4 During this period, fentanyl and related drugs contributed to a dramatic increase in overdose deaths in the United States.5,6,
people knowingly and unknowingly use fentanyl and other synthetic opioids when added to or sold with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit pills.4,7,8 Since fentanyl is approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine9,10, 11 Although the lethal dose of fentanyl can be very small, using a drug that has been contaminated or replaced with fentanyl can significantly increase the risk of overdose.6,7,
As part of a larger federal response to the ongoing public health crisis related to substance abuse and overdose, NIDA is conducting and supporting research to better understand the individual and public health effects of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids and respond to it, and answer NO. These efforts include research to develop effective prevention, treatment and harm reduction strategies for individuals and communities affected by these powerful substances.
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