Rising Smoke: Fentanyl’s Alarming New Trend in San Francisco
Researchers in San Francisco studied the transition from injecting to smoking fentanyl, finding it driven by fear of overdose and injection difficulties, yet still associated…
Fentanyl News
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid, approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It was first synthesized in 1960 and is commonly used for managing severe pain, particularly in cancer patients and in surgical settings. Due to its high potency, fentanyl can be administered in very small doses, and it is available in various forms such as patches, injections, and lozenges. However, its potent effects also make it highly addictive and susceptible to misuse. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl has been a significant contributor to the opioid epidemic, as it is often mixed with heroin or cocaine, significantly increasing the risk of overdose.
Fentanyl’s Fatal Fumes: The Lethal Risks of Residue in Smoking Devices
As smoking fentanyl becomes more common than injection, users face mounting dangers from the residue in smoking equipment. Now that smoking has overtaken injecting as…
Pills in Disguise: The Surprising Surge of Fentanyl Seizures
NIH-supported study highlights increasingly dangerous illicit drug supply, risk of pills not coming from a pharmacy. Law enforcement seizures of illicit fentanyl increased dramatically in…
Fentanyl Pill Seizures Skyrocketed by Over 1,700% Since 2017
U.S. fentanyl seizures skyrocketed by over 1,700% from 2017 to 2023, with nearly half of the seizures in pill form by 2023, indicating a major…
Irreversible Brain Damage: New Threat From Fentanyl Inhalation
Toxic leukoencephalopathy has been seen with heroin inhalation, but this is the first reported fentanyl case. Inhaling the synthetic opioid fentanyl may cause potentially irreversible…
First Documented Case of Brain Damage From Fentanyl Inhalation
Case study highlights added danger of illicit fentanyl, especially to first-time users. The man arrived unconscious and near death. Previously healthy with no known medical…
New Technique Can Quickly Detect Fentanyl and Other Opioids
The testing method has the capability to examine blood samples in half the time compared to alternative approaches. Researchers at the University of Waterloo have…
A Silent Epidemic: 22 Teens Died Each Week From Overdoses in the United States
In 2022, the United States witnessed the deaths of approximately 22 teenagers aged between 14 and 18 every week due to drug overdoses, with the…
Scientists Develop Groundbreaking Handheld Test for Detecting Fentanyl With 98% Accuracy
The first-of-its-kind electrochemical test can identify trace quantities with a 98% accuracy rate. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have created a first-of-its-kind,…
Researchers Discover New Way To Reverse the Effects of Fentanyl
According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdoses claim the lives of 100,000 Americans annually, with a significant majority attributed to the consumption of synthetic…
Riding the Deadly Tide: Fentanyl and Stimulants Lead the Fourth Wave in U.S. Overdose Crisis
A new study reveals a 50-fold rise in US fentanyl-stimulant overdoses since 2010, marking a challenging ‘fourth wave’ in the opioid crisis, with racial disparities…
Fentanyl Crisis Demands a Dose of Reality: More Buprenorphine?
NIH-funded study suggests the need to reevaluate opioid addiction treatment recommendations in the era of fentanyl. People with opioid use disorder who were prescribed a…
4th Wave in U.S. Overdose Crisis: 50x Surge in Deaths From Fentanyl Laced Stimulants
The trend marks the fourth wave in the US overdose crisis, which began with prescription opioid deaths in the early 2000s and has since continued…
Beating the Opioid Crisis: Human Trials for Fentanyl and Heroin Vaccines Nearing Launch
Scientists from the University of Montana, along with their partners, are close to initiating human trials for vaccines designed to prevent overdoses from fentanyl and…
A Longer-Lasting and More Powerful Treatment – New Antibody Reverses Effects of Potent Opioid
Antibody therapy developed by Scripps Research seems to offer over existing opioid-overdose treatments. Scientists at Scripps Research have demonstrated that an antibody, in single-chain fragment…
More Than 80% of Intravenous Drug Users Test Positive for Fentanyl – But Its Often Unintentional
Research reveals widespread fentanyl usage among New York City’s intravenous drug users, despite a strong preference for heroin. A recent study conducted by the NYU…
A Safer Opioid? Scientists Use Sodium To Reduce Harmful Effects of Fentanyl
A mouse and cell study has yielded promising results, offering hope that scientists may be able to mitigate the harmful effects of fentanyl, the world’s…
Compound Created That Can Reverse Effects of Potentially Deadly Drugs Like Meth and Fentanyl
Their method successfully counteracted two highly addictive drugs—fentanyl and methamphetamine—in lab experiments. Drug overdoses in the United States have risen sharply in the last two…