July 17, 2021 1:02 PM +0430
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a highly powerful synthetic opioid medication authorised by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain reliever) and anaesthetic.
As an analgesic, it is about 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.
What does fentanyl look like?
Fentanyl can be difficult to detect, especially when it is mixed with other medicines, but there are things you can do to identify fentanyl.
First, check the color. Many drugs, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, are pure white in powder form. But when they are cut with something, like fentanyl, their color can change. Often, fentanyl produces brown spots in products, which can be helpful in identifying fentanyl in medications. Keep in mind that this method doesn't work, but if you see dark spots on your medication, they could be related to fentanyl.
The drug fentanyl is increasingly widespread in the community. These are pills that appear to be Xanax, Oxycodone or some other drug, but actually contain fentanyl. Sometimes these fentanyl pills can also be marketed as another opiate, methamphetamine, ecstasy, or a benzodiazepine. In some cases, the color or number on the tablet may be unusual, which can help identify fentanyl. However, often there is no obvious physical difference in identifying a fentanyl pill.
Whenever you are unsure of what fentanyl looks like in a certain medicine, you should always use a fentanyl test strip. While knowing what fentanyl looks like can help you detect synthetic opioids, this method is much more reliable. However, this is not easy. Due to low fentanyl levels and user error, sometimes fentanyl test strips may not detect fentanyl in a medication. So what to do after using the test strip?
If you still choose to take medication, start slowly. Take a small amount, then wait 20 seconds to see the intensity of the effect, and stop or resume slowly depending on how you feel. Also, you should only use it with someone else who has naloxone available, as this life-saving treatment can make a difference in a fentanyl overdose.