10/14/2026
10 Important Facts About Fentanyl
1. Fentanyl is extremely potent. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is used medically for severe pain and anesthesia. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is a major driver of fatal overdoses.
2. A person may not know they are taking it. Fentanyl can be mixed into he**in, co***ne, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs, or sold in counterfeit pills resembling prescription medications.
3. A very small amount can be deadly. The risk depends on the amount, concentration, route of exposure, and a person's opioid tolerance. There is no reliable way to judge the contents or strength of an illicit pill by looking at it.
4. It can stop a person's breathing. Fentanyl can suppress the brain's drive to breathe, depriving the body of oxygen and potentially causing death.
5. Overdose can happen quickly. Warning signs can develop within minutes, particularly when fentanyl is taken by smoking, snorting, or injection.
6. Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone, often sold under the brand name Narcan, can restore breathing temporarily. Multiple doses may be needed for fentanyl overdoses.
7. Anyone can be affected. Overdose risk is not limited to people with opioid addiction. A person who takes a counterfeit pill believing it is a legitimate prescription drug may also be at risk.
8. Mixing substances increases danger. Combining fentanyl with alcohol, benzodiazepines such as Xanax, or other sedating drugs can increase the risk of dangerously slowed breathing.
9. Survival is possible with rapid action. Calling 911, administering naloxone, and providing rescue breathing or CPR as appropriate can save a life.
10. Fentanyl-related deaths are not the same as all drug overdose deaths. National statistics may count deaths involving multiple substances, so a death involving fentanyl and another drug may appear in more than one substance category.
