Studies have shown that fentanyl test strips can increase awareness and lead to safety precautions to help prevent an overdose. A lethally potent drug is driving the rapid rise in overdose deaths, killing thousands of people who don’t even know they’ve taken it. The fentanyl test strips given away were packaged into kits including 10 strips, each with instructions on how to use them, a pocket-sized set of instructions with pictures, and information on fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is used medically for pain relief, but it is also commonly abused recreationally due to its intense euphoric effects. The illegal sale and distribution of fentanyl have become a major public health concern, leading to numerous overdose deaths.

Harm Reduction Is Part Of The Treatment Continuum

For example, substances that were formerly sold as heroin in Massachusetts are almost entirely illicitly manufactured fentanyl. People who use drugs and people who may witness an overdose should learn what an overdose looks like, carry naloxone, and know how to give naloxone to a person to reverse an opioid overdose. As xylazine becomes more common in Oregon’s drug supply, it is increasingly important to know how to identify and respond to overdoses.

Is It Legal to Buy Fentanyl?

Colorado Laws Offer Protection In Cases Of Drug Overdose

In the United States, fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance, which means it can only be obtained with a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider. However, there are illicit sources where individuals can obtain fentanyl without a prescription, such as through drug dealers or online black markets.

Overdose Prevention Training

The best way to use them is to dissolve all the drugs you plan to use in water. Fentanyl might not be everywhere evenly in your product, so if you only test a portion of your supply you might end up missing it. Most are at least 96% accurate in detecting fentanyl as well as many fentanyl analogs (drugs that are chemically similar but not identical to fentanyl). Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that were originally created to detect fentanyl in urine. But you can also use them to see whether a drug contains fentanyl in just a few minutes. He’d been in and out of rehab more than half a dozen times when fentanyl inundated Ohio.

In Wisconsin, no one is alone in their journey to overcome opioid use disorder.
Offers needs-based mobile syringe exchange, fentanyl test strips, Naloxone (Narcan) and safer sex kits.
According to the AMA’s latest Opioid Epidemic Report, opioid prescribing continues downward trend while overdose and death related to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine increase.
Participants were asked if they had any questions regarding the videos or handout.
During the first part of the training, participants viewed a short instructional video of heroin being tested for fentanyl and another video on how to interpret test strip results.

The Dangers of Buying Fentanyl Illegally

Training Videos

Buying fentanyl illegally is extremely risky and potentially deadly. Since illicitly manufactured fentanyl can vary greatly in purity and potency, there is a high risk of accidental overdose. In fact, fentanyl is estimated to be up to 100 times more potent than morphine, making even small amounts dangerous.

“Two years ago, I would have thought this was crazy,” said Dr. Akhil Anand, a psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in addiction. Now, Anand said, he’s seeing a lot more people in Ohio seeking out illicit fentanyl as their drug of choice. One hundred thousand people died nationwide from overdoses in 2021. That’s something that Atkinson stresses, because he’s been there himself. It just takes that one time to seek resources that could change the course of a person’s life. Learn more about physicians’ actions toward ending the nation’s drug-related overdose and death epidemic—and what still needs to be done.