Fentanyl Facts

Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid medication that health care professionals have used to treat pain since the 1970s. When fentanyl is used illicitly or without a prescription, it can be dangerous.

Illicit fentanyl shows up in the drug supply across Colorado and can be found in many other drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, molly/MDMA, and counterfeit pills made to look like real medications such as Adderall, Xanax, Percocet, and Oxycontin. Illicit fentanyl can be made cheaply and illegally from chemicals. Illicit fentanyl comes in a powder form and can be injected, smoked, or snorted.

Fentanyl is a very strong drug. It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl can cause an overdose, even in very small amounts, especially if someone has no tolerance to opioids. Since there’s no reliable way to determine how much fentanyl is in a drug, and potency often varies, this increases the risk of overdose. 

Fentanyl can be found in many recreational drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, molly/MDMA, and counterfeit pills that look like real medications, such as Adderall, Xanax, Percocet, and Oxycontin. Fentanyl comes in a powder form, which allows it to be added to or mixed in with other drugs. It is hard for people to know if the drugs they use contain fentanyl because you cannot see it, smell it, or taste it, which can make anyone vulnerable to an overdose.

Because fentanyl is very strong, even small amounts of fentanyl can cause an overdose, especially if someone has no tolerance to opioids or is using multiple drugs at once. It can be very hard for people to know if there is fentanyl in the substances they are using, which increases the risk of overdose. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that works by binding to the opioid receptors in the brain that control pain (source). If someone overdoses on fentanyl or any other opioid, their breathing can get very slow or stop, which is very dangerous.

It can be hard to know if a substance has fentanyl in it. Fentanyl is very strong, so even small amounts can be dangerous. Fentanyl has no taste or smell, and you cannot see if a substance has fentanyl in it. People who use illicit substances can take a drug containing fentanyl without realizing it. Fentanyl test strips can show if there is fentanyl mixed into a substance, but you won’t be able to tell how much. Read about how to use fentanyl test strips or watch this video.

Fentanyl test strips are legal in Colorado. You can find test strips online and at syringe access programs.

No, touching or accidentally coming into contact with illicit fentanyl in powder or pill form will not hurt you (source). Fentanyl must be introduced into the bloodstream or a mucus membrane (like the inside of your nose) in order for it to affect you. 

If you are with someone who is using fentanyl or someone who overdoses after using fentanyl, you will not get hurt by helping or touching them. Staying with that person, calling 911, and giving them naloxone could save their life. 

Sometimes health care professionals use fentanyl skin patches to treat pain, but they are different from illicit fentanyl. Fentanyl skin patches are designed to include different chemical layers that help fentanyl absorb into the skin slowly. Touching someone who is using a fentanyl skin patch will not hurt you.

Fentanyl is powerful and can be made very cheaply. People who make and sell drugs mix fentanyl into other substances like heroin, meth, cocaine, molly/MDMA, and counterfeit prescription pills to stretch their supply, increase the potency of the drug, and increase profit. 

Because even a very small amount of fentanyl can cause an overdose, people who make and sell drugs might accidentally mix in too much fentanyl into each dose. While some people use fentanyl knowingly, others may not know it’s in their drug, increasing risk of overdose.

Naloxone is a medication that quickly and safely reverses opioid overdose, including ones caused by fentanyl. Emergency responders and health care professionals use naloxone to help someone with an overdose, and so can you. Naloxone is 100% safe, and it will not hurt someone even if an opioid, like fentanyl, did not cause their symptoms. 

The most common form of naloxone — and the easiest to use — is a nasal spray, and brand names include Narcan and Kloxxado. Naloxone can be purchased from any pharmacy in Colorado or online, and many insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private plans, cover some or all of the cost.

Anyone in Colorado can help someone who might be experiencing an overdose. Learn more about how to use naloxone and save a life. 

Naloxone is very effective in helping someone experiencing a fentanyl or other opioid overdose. No type of fentanyl or other opioid is naloxone-resistant; that is a myth. If someone is having overdose symptoms, naloxone will not hurt them, and it can save their life. 

As naloxone is an opioid antagonist, it will only work to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. However, it does not cause harm to give someone naloxone if you are unsure if their symptoms are caused by a fentanyl overdose. Everyone is encouraged to give naloxone if they encounter an unresponsive person who has weak or shallow breathing, pale or blue lips or is showing other opioid overdose symptoms. 

If you have naloxone, do not hesitate to use it. The Third Party Naloxone Law, C.R.S. §18-1-712 and 911 Good Samaritan Law, C.R.S. §18-1-711 extend immunity to an individual "who acts in good faith to administer naloxone to another person whom the person believes to be suffering an opiate-related drug overdose."

Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist, which means that it binds to opioid receptors in the brain and reverses or blocks the effects of other opioids, like fentanyl. Giving someone naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and can help them start to breathe normally again. If there is no effect two to three minutes after giving the first dose of naloxone, a second dose may be used. Since slowed or stopped breathing is a symptom of an overdose, it’s helpful to provide rescue breathing while you’re waiting for the naloxone to take effect.

Yes, anyone can buy, have, and use naloxone without a prescription in the state of Colorado. Many pharmacies have naloxone in stock, and almost all can order it for you and get it to you within a couple of days. Many insurance plans, including Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, cover naloxone. Visit your local pharmacy and ask your pharmacist about naloxone.

Anyone who uses opioids or has them in their home should get naloxone. If you or someone you care about uses opioids, either with a prescription or without, or has an opioid use disorder, you can help them by talking to them about naloxone and having it at home, just in case. You can even carry naloxone with you if you encounter someone who might be having an overdose.