The Washington State Department of Health reported recently illicit fentanyl is being detected in new forms and has been linked to a 70 percent increase in overdose deaths.
Illicit fentanyl has been found in a variety of counterfeit pills made to look like prescription opioids, reads a press release from the Washington State Department of Health. It has also been found in white and colored powders, and could potentially be present in any illicit drug.
In the first half of 2018, there were 81 deaths in the state linked to fentanyl versus 48 deaths during the same time frame last year.
Heroin and opioid users may be in danger, according to the press release, of using drugs that contain fentanyl, unbeknownst to them. The substance is between 30 and 50 times as strong as pure heroin. A dose the size of a few grains of salt can be fatal to an average-sized person.
“While fentanyl has been a significant cause of overdose deaths elsewhere in the United States, our state is now seeing the rise of its deadly impact,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, state health officer and co-chair of the state’s Opioid Response Work Group, in the press release. “We need people who take illicit drugs to seek treatment and take other actions to reduce their risk of an overdose.”
Public health officials urge people who use opioids to take some action to help protect themselves from an overdose:
Seek treatment from the Recovery Helpline. Phone calls are confidential and callers can get information on recovery by calling 1-866-789-1511.
Carry the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Visit stopoverdose.org to see locations in state that provide it.
If you witness an overdose call 911, give naloxone and do rescue breathing. Fentanyl may require multiple doses of naloxone to restore breathing. The law says neither the victim nor persons assisting with an overdose will be prosecuted for drug possession.
Never use drugs alone, and be careful about using too fast. Fentanyl is fast-acting and deadly, the press release reads.
