Beyond Ecstasy

WATCH OUT: Fentanyl Hits the Streets!!!

Luke Eckert Student Pharmacist Fall 2022

What is fentanyl ?

History Behind fentanyl

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed to manage pain for specifically cancer treatment. It comes as a patch that is applied to the skin. It is used for abuse because of its powerful opioid properties. Fentanyl is added to other drugs, mainly heroine, on the street to increase its potency. Normally, this is masked from the buyer which often results in overdose deaths of the user.

It was first developed in 1959 in Mexico and introduced to the United States in the 1960s. In the time span of 2011-2018, fatal overdoses and abuse of the drug both drastically increases. According to the CDC fentanyl was involved in 2,600 overdose deaths in 2011 and it increased dramatically each year. In 2018, the overdoses deaths involving fentanyl and its analogues were 31,335.

Image: Kounang N. What you need to know about fentanyl. CNN. Published November 5, 2018. Accessed October 10, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/10/health/fentanylopioid-explainer/index.html

Pharmacology of fentanyl

The effects of the drug https://www.everydayhealth.com/opioidaddiction/fentanyl/.

Fentanyl acts on the mu-o pioid receptor. It has a rapid onset and effects with a short duration. Fentanyl has a rapid onset because it passes through the blood-brain barrier. Fentanyl is abused for its euphoric effects. It can cause muscle rigidity at a higher frequency unlike other opioid receptor agonists. Fentanyl, unlike other opioid receptor agonists, does not release histamine and only has minimal depressant effects on the heart.

Image: Thrasybule L, Sullivan K, Rauf D, Rapaport L, Jagoo KK. What is Fentanyl?

EverydayHealth.com. Accessed October 10, 2022.

Slang names of fentanyl

Street Names

Crazy One, Dance Fever, Dragons Breath, Fire, Friend, Goodfella, Great Bear, He-Man, Heineken, Jackpot, Murder 8, Nal, Nil, Tango Crash, TNT

Slang terms of fentanyl

Street names played on the name

F, Fent, Fenty, Freddy, Fuf, Opes

Fentanyl is like other commonly used opioids. It produces effects on the body such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and respiratory depression.

The effects on the body during an overdose can include stupor, changes in pupillary size, cold and clammy skin, cyanosis, coma, and respiratory failure that can lead to death. If the patient is in a coma, has pinpoint pupils and respiratory depression then the patient has opioid poisoning.

Slang terms of fentanyl

Derived from the color/origin

Color: Blue Diamond, Blue

Dolphin, Blues, China White, Gray Stuff, King Ivory, Snowflake, White Girl or Ladies

Origin: China Girl, China Town, China White, Chinese Buffet, Pharmacy, Lollipop