What People Get Wrong About Fentanyl Risks
Fentanyl Risks: what people commonly get wrong, set against what published US guidance says.
Fentanyl is the main driver of overdose deaths in the US, and many people who take it do not know their drugs contain it.
Key takeaways
- Strength: about 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine
- Where it is found: mixed into heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and counterfeit pills that look like real prescription medicines
- Most useful single change: Only take pills prescribed for you and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.
- Commonest mistake: Taking pills from friends or social media sellers, even if they look real.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What the guidance actually says
The numbers first, since the corrections only mean something against them.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Strength | about 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine |
| Where it is found | mixed into heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and counterfeit pills that look like real prescription medicines |
| Detection | you cannot see, smell or taste fentanyl |
| Test strips | fentanyl test strips can detect fentanyl in drugs |
| Naloxone | reverses fentanyl overdose, though more than one dose may be needed |
Where people go wrong
These are widely believed and not supported by the guidance above.
- Taking pills from friends or social media sellers, even if they look real
- Using drugs alone
- Mixing drugs, or combining them with alcohol or sedatives
What to do instead
- Only take pills prescribed for you and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy
- Carry naloxone and make sure people around you know where it is
- Talk to teens about counterfeit pills sold online and through social media
- Call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for treatment options
The part that is genuinely uncertain
Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current US guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.
Related topics
- Buying Medicines Online: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Medicines Safety)
- Opioids for Long-Term Pain: What Published Guidance Supports (Chronic Pain)
- Traveling with Medicines: What Published Guidance Supports (Travel Health)
- Acetaminophen Safety: What the Evidence Actually Says (Liver Health)
Where to go next
- Fentanyl Risks for Beginners: Where to Start
- A Q and A on Fentanyl Risks
- Fentanyl Risks — the reference entry
- Substance Use: The Complete Guide
- The Evidence on Alcohol Use Disorder, Without the Hype
- The Evidence on Cannabis Use, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
Call 911 right away and give naloxone if someone has slow or stopped breathing, pinpoint pupils or will not wake up. Stay with them until help arrives.
Where this comes from
- CDC — Fentanyl Facts
- National Institute on Drug Abuse — Fentanyl DrugFacts
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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