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Fentanyl Fundamentals There are two types of fentanyl— pharmaceutical and illicitly manufactured. Both are synthetic, but the latter is what 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a deadly dose
“WHEN THEY MAKE THESE PILLS THERE REALLY IS NO QUALITY CONTROL IN HOW MUCH FENTANYL IS IN A GIVEN PILL. ... WE ALMOST DON’T FIND ANY OF THE OTHER DRUGS THAT ARE NOT IN SOME
Opioid-related deaths across counties Texas Health and Human Services tracks opioid-related deaths across the state via its Texas Health Data website. Deaths are measured per 100,000 residents.
Collin County
Dallas County
Denton County Tarrant County
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WAY IMPREGNATED WITH FENTANYL SO THAT MAKES THEM
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accounts for most overdoses and deaths.
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ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS.” JIM SKINNER, COLLIN COUNTY SHERIFF
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2016
2017
2018
2019
2020*
*THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE DATA BEYOND 2020 SOURCES: TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMUNITY IMPACT
hear from Collin County Sheri Jim Skinner. “We’re trying to do what we can here in Collin County,” Skinner said during the May 12 meeting. The coalition is a collaborative e ort working with schools, parents and youth organizations, elected o cials, law enforcement agencies, businesses, chambers of commerce, civic groups, and faith-based organizations that are dedicated to creating a healthy com- munity, according to the organiza- tion’s website. Its goal is to reduce or prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by the youth in McKinney. Skinner said fentanyl use continues to increase in the county, and one way to help is to continue to discuss and educate the community about the drug. McKinney resident Michael Land lost his son Preston Land to acute fentanyl poisoning in 2021. He spoke during the Drug Free McKinney event and at the May 12 panel by Pot- ter’s House of North Dallas, a church located in east Frisco. He recalled how Preston struggled with depression and isolation while he was in high school. “That night that he took that pill, I don’t know what he was struggling with,” Land said. “He got a bad pill.” A national crisis Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid com- parable to pain relievers, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It’s most commonly found posing as “Blue M30” pills. Drugs containing fen- tanyl are most commonly purchased
the country, FDA Commissioner Rob- ert Cali said. “The FDA remains committed to addressing the evolving complexities of the overdose crisis,” Cali said in the news release. “As part of this work, the agency has used its regulatory author- ity to facilitate greater access to nalox- one by encouraging the development of and approving an over-the-counter naloxone product to address the dire public health need.” The Texas Legislature also consid- ered a series of bills meant to combat rising overdose numbers. Responding locally GraceToChange, a McKinney-based Collin County addiction center, works with families and addicts ghting against fentanyl, Founder and Execu- tive Director Shannon White said. Fentanyl has become more preva- lent in the work happening at Grace- ToChange, White said. “That’s one of the startling things that people have a hard time under- standing. People have been able to get addicted to fentanyl,” she said. “It’s becoming much more prevalent.” GraceToChange o ers rehabilitation, addiction counseling and community support for those with addiction. It is an outpatient center that caters to adults and adolescents, White said. “Our method is we try to teach peo- ple how to live without drugs,” she said. People don’t want to discuss fentanyl because of the stigma associated with it, but education is one of the best ways to evoke change, White said. “Don’t be afraid to talk about it; education is power,” she said. Beyond education, White said every person, no matter their relationship to
through social media apps, such as Snapchat, Instagram, Telegram and Whatsapp, according to law enforce- ment o cials. Texas has seen an increase of more than 500% in fentanyl-related deaths since 2019, according to Texas Health and Human Services data. Across the U.S., three out of four overdoses involved synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, during that time, according to Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention data. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can cause a lethal overdose, according to DEA data. “When they make these pills, there really is no quality control in how much fentanyl is in a given pill,” Skinner said. “We almost don’t nd any of the other drugs that are not in some way impreg- nated with fentanyl, so that makes them especially dangerous.” The U.S. Food and Drug Adminis- tration approved Narcan for over-the- counter sales in March, according to a March 29 news release. Narcan is a 4-milligram naloxone nasal spray that can be used to reverse drug overdoses. Narcan, when applied, can reverse the e ects of an overdose from opi- oids, including heroin, morphine, methadone and fentanyl, according to the CDC. The treatment is tempo- rary, and someone who is overdosing should still seek medical attention, even after applying Narcan. It can now be sold and stored on the shelves of pharmacies, grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, and online shopping sites across the U.S., according to the news release. Approval of the nasal spray will help improve access to naloxone and help reduce opioid overdoses across
PHARMACEUTICAL
Prescribed by doctors for severe pain, advanced- stage cancer
Applied via a patch
on the skin
ILLICITLY MANUFACTURED
Created at pill-pressing organizations
Made in fentanyl synthesis laboratories Coming into U.S. from:
• China • Mexico
• India • Canada
SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT WHAT CAN I DO? Scan the QR code to nd more
information or help regarding substance abuse.
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