The Fentanyl Epidemic

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery - it is 100 times stronger than morphine.

Drug dealers are mixing fentanyl in with other illicit drugs to create a more intense high and a lower cost. It is sold as powders and nasal sprays, and increasingly pressed into pills made to look like legitimate prescription narcotics. Because these area amateur pharmacists, with no quality control, these counterfeit pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl.

These counterfeit pills are nearly identical to those dispensed by pharmacies, but contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl. Made to resemble drugs such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Xanax®, and Adderall®, it is possible for someone to take a pill without knowing it contains fentanyl. It is also possible to take a pill knowing it contains fentanyl, but with no way of knowing if it contains a lethal dose. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills its laboratory analyzed in 2022, six out of ten contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

Once ingested or inhaled, most overdoses occur within seconds to minutes. drug dealers have been mixing fentanyl with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, increasing the likelihood of a fatal interaction. If you are with someone who exhibits symptoms of overdose, such as shallow or no breathing, and becomes unresponsive after ingesting or snorting a drug, call 911 IMMEDIATELY.

If you have any information regarding the sale of fentanyl, or any illegal drugs, you can find the different ways to submit your tip HERE or leave a message on the KCKPD 24-Hour Narcotics Hotline 913-573-6272(NARC). Tips may remain anonymous.