What is fentanyl and why is it so dangerous?

wsj 8 min read . Updated: 18 Jan 2023, 05:46 PM IST Julie Wernau, The Wall Street Journal
When drug suppliers press fentanyl into illicit pills, a few grains too many can be enough to trigger a fatal overdose (HT_PRINT)Premium
When drug suppliers press fentanyl into illicit pills, a few grains too many can be enough to trigger a fatal overdose (HT_PRINT)

What to know about the opioid drug responsible for a surge in overdoses

The opioid crisis has only intensified as more illicit drugs have entered the market. Drug overdose deaths reached a record high in 2021, with more than 100,000 people lost to the continuing epidemic, fueled by the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl. The drug, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can be up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times that of morphine. Illicit forms of fentanyl are mainly manufactured by drug cartels in Mexico and spreading in the U.S.

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