Good day to all. This is your girl Blondie signing in. I hope everyone is in good health and good spirits. Today I would like to explore the drug fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful opioid drug used in treatment of several pain. The question is why is it so dangerous and how it can be abused when not monitored by a medical doctor. Fentanyl is odorless, tasteless and colorless which makes it hard very hard to detect. In 2017 fentanyl was detected in 80 percent of opioid related deaths. This drug is finding its way into powders and pills sometimes unintentionally through cross contamination. This has significantly increased the amount of people who are now at high risk of accidental overdose. Unless tested which is difficult and expensive there is no way of knowing which drugs contain fentanyl. Even if one person can use this drug from a patch and not be harmed, doesn’t mean that another person who uses the same patch will get the same result. Each individual is different and to make matters worse it’s hard to detect the amount in any given pill or powder.

There are three main groups of people that may come in contact with the drug, besides those who are being treated by a doctor. The first group of people may be those who might regular use narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, Oxycontin, morphine and Xanax. These people may have developed a dependency to pain killers for management of pass injuries or trauma. Regular users have the most contact with fentanyl, but they may have also have developed tolerance to opioids so that lower doses may have a less deadly effect. They are also more likely to be experienced in practices that can reduce the harm of a fentanyl overdose. Despite this regular users are still at high risk of overdosing because they could come in contact with powders or pills that have been of contaminated. Fentanyl is very powerful. Things can go wrong very quickly even with safe practices. The second group are people who use pills and powder for recreational use, such as concerts, parties or gatherings. While recreational groups aren’t usually looking for fentanyl, they risk running into it while using a different contaminated patch. The third group may be people who are curious about using pills or powders. This group may have already used marijuana or alcohol and can find themselves in a scenario where trying a new substance is appealing. Inexperience users are not prepared for how any one substance might react with their unique bodies. Everybody is affected differently. They also have no substance tolerance so the drug affect can be much stronger. A new user might accept a smaller dose of a drug from a trusted source and still come across with fentanyl poisoning. There is just no way of knowing if fentanyl contamination has occurred. Trusting your source isn’t enough to protecting yourself these days. Avoiding all elicit pills and powders substance use is the best way to protect yourself.

If you or someone you know chooses to use, there are some ways to prevent an accidental overdose. Have someone else around. Use one substance at a time. Go slow be aware of your health and tolerance. Have someone around with a naloxone kit a counteractive drug to fentanyl over dose. A person might be experiencing an over dose if they can’t be woken up, or if they have slow absence breathing. They may also have cold skin and discolored lips and nails. If someone is around you experiencing these symptoms call 911 immediately. We have a law under the Good Samaritan Act where anyone who calls 911 helps someone who has overdosed will not be charged with simple possession, and either will the person who has overdosed. Paramedics only wants to help the person in need. This information was provided by Vancouver Coastal Health. This is Blondie signing off. As always I encourage you to call or text someone who may be in need of a mental hug.