Page 80 - ACTL Journal Win24

Early on the morning of Thursday, April 14, 2022, as I struggled to catch my breath during my morning workout, Thomas unconsciously took his last breath as the fentanyl
from the fake “Percocet” shut down his respiratory system and killed him. Thomas unwittingly became the latest sta- tistic in our country’s growing fentanyl crisis.
FENTANYL FACTS
Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approved for use as an analgesic and anesthetic. Fentanyl is roughly one hundred times more potent than morphine and fifty times more potent than heroin. Used properly, fentanyl provides pain relief to patients with terminal cancer and better operative outcomes for patients during minor sur- gical procedures.
Illegal fentanyl is dramatically changing the recreational drug landscape in America. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration describes fentanyl as the “single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered.” Fentanyl claims one life every 8.5 minutes. Six out of ten fake pre- scription pills seized by the DEA contain deadly doses of fentanyl. Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Ameri- cans under age fifty than any other cause of death, includ- ing heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, and other ac- cidents. Fentanyl, the fastest growing killer of Americans in the 14-23 age group, leads to more American youth deaths than heroin, meth, cocaine, benzos, and prescrip- tion drugs combined.
During the twelve months ending in January 2022, over 107,000 people died of drug overdoses and drug poison- ings. More than two-thirds of those deaths involved syn- thetic opioids like fentanyl. Sometimes fentanyl is found in pressed fake prescription pills, like Percocet, Adderall, or Xanax, or illegal pills like Ecstasy. Sometimes fentanyl is cut into cocaine. Sometimes fentanyl is sprayed on weed. Two milligrams (a few grains on the tip of a pencil) can be lethal.
Common street names for illicit fentanyl include Apache, China Girl, China Town, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfellas, Great Bear, He-Man, Jackpot, King Ivory, Murder 8, and Tango & Cash. Users can inject, snort/sniff, smoke, and swallow fentanyl in various forms. Legal fentanyl patches are cut open to remove the contents or frozen, cut into pieces, and placed under the tongue or in the cheek cavity. The drug produces relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, seda- tion, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression. Fentanyl is cheaper to manufacture than other opioids and highly addictive, making it easier to smuggle in small powerful quantities.
PROTECTING AGAINST OD
As the fentanyl crisis continues to expand, we must all learn to spot and deal with a potential overdose.
OVERDOSE SIGNS:
Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
Falling asleep or losing consciousness
Slow, weak, or no breathing
Choking or gurgling sounds
Limp body
Cold and/or clammy skin
Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
ACTION PLAN FOR SUSPECTED OVERDOSE:
Call 911 immediately
Administer Naloxone (Narcan), if available
Try to keep person awake and breathing
Lay person on side to prevent choking
Stay with person until emergency assistance arrives
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