Fentanyl

What is it?
A potent opium-based narcotic
originally developed as an
anaesthetic used during surgery.
Usually prescribed to those with
moderate to severe ongoing pain
such as cancer patients.

1 dose of
fentanyl = 100 doses of
morphine or 750 doses of
codeine
Fentanyl is frequently
Use and effects mixed into illegal drugs
Usually prescribed as a transdermal patch. sold on the streets.
It is also available via injection, pill or Combining it with other
lozenge. narcotics amplifies its
potency as well as its
Like heroin and morphine, dangers.
fentanyl works by attaching to
the bodys opiate receptors, Receptors Side effects include:
Respiratory
largely concentrated in areas
depression and arrest
of the brain that control pain
and emotions. When opiate The drug is Nausea
drugs bind to these receptors, absorbed Brain hypoxia
into the resulting in
they drive up dopamine levels blood stream
causing a state of euphoria - temporary memory
and relaxation. loss
- reduced ability to
move your body
On the street - difficulty making
Unavailable opiates such as sound decisions
OxyContin and Oxycodone have - seizures
caused Fentanyls popularity. - brain death
Patches can sell for as little as $60 Drug poisoning
There are many ways the drug Sedation
is being used on the street: Unconsciousness
Extracting the drug, Coma
heating it and injecting it Death
directly into veins
12
Scraping the drug off the Overdoses
patch to smoke or inject
Sucking on the patch under
Officially 9
their tongues recorded 8
Producing it in labs to be
fentanyl
mixed with or substituted for overdoses
heroin in powder form in Niagara
Sources: MedicineNet.com; National Institute on
Drug Abuse; Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse 3
2 2
1
Deaths
Fatal fentanyl 167 2010 11 12 13 14 15 16
overdoses 154
Ontario Deaths 12
Officially recorded
116 120 fatal fentanyl
104 overdoses in Niagara
86
7
6 6
4
3 3
1
2010 11 12 13 14 15*
*preliminary
2010 11 12 13 14 15 16 17*
POSTMEDIA NETWORK Source: Niagara Regional Police *Jan.-April