A New Pandemic is Here
A tasteless, odorless, and practically invisible killer is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It comes in a powder or liquid and takes less than 3 grains of salt or only a fraction of one rain drop to cause death. It’s fentanyl; and accidental overdose is the most recent pandemic.
It is killing 150 people per day in the US. Unfortunately, it is killing teenagers and young adults most often… and killing a piece of their friends, family, and parents in the process. Fentanyl is mixed with ALL kinds of drugs including marijuana, vape oil, and other opiates such as oxycodone and is impossible to detect without medical grade fentanyl test strips.
It only takes one time, whether it is a person’s first or hundredth time using a drug, to use a dose laced with a tiny amount of fentanyl that leads to death.
Because of this, I am encouraging everyone to talk to their friends, family, and older children about this new pandemic. Remind your loved ones of the dangers of drug use and if needed, purchase medical grade fentanyl test strips. Click this link to an amazon item that may help save a life - I have no disclosures with the product and do not receive any monetary gain from its purchase.
Prevention is the best medicine, just like with diabetes, high blood pressure, and several other health conditions. And like those conditions, although preventable, people will still accidentally overdose from fentanyl. Here is a quick three question review -
What is fentanyl?
It is a synthetic (man-made) opioid that is 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine. It is used very carefully in the medical setting as a potent pain reliever. It has many street names including Apache, Friend, Goodfellas, Jackpot, Murder 8, and Tango & Cash.
What are the symptoms of overdose?
Recognizing the signs of opioid overdose can save a life.
Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
Falling asleep or losing consciousness
Slow, weak, or no breathing
Choking or gurgling sounds
Limp body
Cold and/or clammy skin
Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)
What is the treatment for overdose?
What to do if you think someone is overdosing - It may be hard to tell whether a person is high or experiencing an overdose. If you aren’t sure, treat it like an overdose—you could save a life.
Call 911 Immediately - Most states have laws that may protect a person who is overdosing or the person who called for help from legal trouble.
Administer naloxone, if available - Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and save lives. It is available in all 50 states and can be purchased from a local pharmacy without a prescription in most states.
Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives.
If you have any questions, concerns, or want more information, please do not hesitate to reach out to Caravel Health DPC.
If you know or think someone might be struggling with addiction, ask them if you can help. Your concern might be just what they need to start their recovery journey. Your support could make all the difference in their success.
If you are struggling with addiction, please know that recovery is possible. Don’t wait to get started. Look for information in your community or ask your healthcare provider for treatment and referral services available to you.
Best in health,
Dr. Landen B Green, DO
Caravel Health DPC
