What You Need to Know About Fentanyl and Its Risks

What you need to know about fentanyl and its risks

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic narcotic or opioid, originally developed as an anesthetic for use during surgery. In the last decade, fentanyl also became available as a prescription painkiller in a transdermal patch (applied to the skin like a nicotine patch or adhesive bandage). According to pharmacologists, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 750 times stronger than codeine.

Doctors may prescribe fentanyl to those suffering with cancer pain or severe chronic pain, but authorities are voicing serious concerns about its illicit use (without a prescription and without close doctor supervision). The RCMP says that fentanyl contributed to or caused more than 100 deaths in 2014 in Alberta alone.

When bought illegally on the street, the prescription patch may be called patch, sticky, or sticker. The pill form, manufactured in criminal labs, may be called greenies, green apples, or green monster. Other street names include Apache, China girl, China white, dance fever, friend, goodfella, jackpot, murder 8, TNT, and Tango and Cash.

If you’ve heard about people using fentanyl or you’re thinking about using it, you should be aware of the extreme risks. When used illicitly, fentanyl is very dangerous because:

-  It is highly addictive: The euphoric high is followed by a very quick, very low low -- a cycle that contributes to the development of a severe addiction.

-  Fentanyl is a “respiratory depressant,” which means that it can slow breathing to the point of respiratory failure causing death.

-  The risk of overdose is high: Fentanyl may be mixed in with other street drugs (in particular, heroin) and it’s undetectable. The drug may also be sold falsely as oxycodone (OxyContin) or heroin, and because of its potency, users are unable to tolerate it, resulting in overdose, and even death.

-  The illicit version is a street drug -- none of which can be guaranteed safe and most of which are made up of many harmful substances. To quote Dr. Mark Yarema, Medical Director of Alberta’s Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS) and Emergency Medicine Physician: “Simply, there is no such thing as a safe street drug; there is no safe dose; and, no one is immune to the risk.”

If you’re concerned that someone you care about may be abusing fentanyl or other substances, or you’re worried about your own behaviour and wondering if you may have an addiction, LifeWorks, your Employee Assistance Program (EAP/EFAP) and work-life/wellness resource is here to help. It’s confidential and we’re available any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can help you:

·  Determine if you may have a substance abuse problem

·  Develop a plan for dealing with addiction, and connect you with community supports

·  Access educational resources, and understand your treatment options

Log in any time to www.lifeworks.com to read articles on substance abuse and addiction, including:

·  Addictive Behaviour

·  Prescription Drug Abuse

·  Drug and Alcohol Abuse: Warning Signs

·  Concurrent Disorders

·  Are You Using Drugs or Alcohol to Cope with Depression or Anxiety?

·  How to Use the Employee Assistance Program

To learn more about the dangers of fentanyl, access the following online resources:

·  Prescription Opioids (Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Drug Summary)

·  http://www.macleans.ca/society/health/fentanyl-the-king-of-all-opiates-and-a-killer-drug-crisis/

·  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/drug-dealer-explains-lure-and-risk-of-fentanyl-abuse-1.2254700

Call LifeWorks toll-free any time at 1.877.207.8833.

TTY: 1.877.371.9978

You can also visit www.lifeworks.com
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