Every life lost to an opioid overdose is a big deal, especially to the friends and families left behind.
But you can take small, everyday steps to protect the people you care about — and that’s huge.
Fentanyl is a powerful, fast-acting opioid.
Illegally made fentanyl is much stronger than other opioids like heroin or morphine.
It sets in faster and wears off faster, so people who use fentanyl have to use more often to avoid withdrawals.
When people use more often, their chances of overdosing and becoming dependent go up.
Fentanyl is unevenly mixed into fake pills and other illegal drugs.
One pill might have little to no fentanyl. One might have a fatal dose. And you can’t tell which is which.
In 2023, 83% of all overdose deaths in Washington involved opioids like fentanyl.
Fentanyl goes by
many names.
People are accidentally overdosing on fentanyl thinking they took real Adderall, OxyContin, Percocet, or Xanax.
Even if a pill isn’t called fentanyl, it can still have fentanyl in it.
30s or M-30s
Oxys
Blues
Fenny
Addy
Xannies
Percs
Skittles
Today’s illegal
drug market
is more harmful
and unpredictable
than ever.
Compared to other illegal opioids, fentanyl is cheaper to produce, easier to smuggle and mix into other drugs, and more profitable to sell. It has flooded the market.
Manufacturers in China and India make fentanyl or fentanyl-like substances and sell them to cartels or on the dark web.
Drug cartels in Mexico press the fentanyl into fake prescription pills or mix it into other illegal drugs. It is then smuggled into the U.S.
Dealers in the U.S. sell the fentanyl-laced pills and drugs. There is no way to tell if a pill or powder has enough fentanyl in it to cause an overdose or death.
Today’s illegal
drug market
is more harmful
and unpredictable
than ever.
Compared to other illegal opioids, fentanyl is cheaper to produce, easier to smuggle and mix into other drugs, and more profitable to sell. It has flooded the market.
Manufacturers in China and India make fentanyl or fentanyl-like substances and sell them to cartels or on the dark web.
Drug cartels in Mexico press the fentanyl into fake prescription pills or mix it into other illegal drugs. It is then smuggled into the U.S.
Dealers in the U.S. sell the fentanyl-laced pills and drugs. There is no way to tell if a pill or powder has enough fentanyl in it to cause an overdose or death.
Help keep one
another safe.
Talk to teens
Most teens say they trust their parents or caregivers more than anyone when it comes to information and advice about drugs.
Learn more and find resources to help get the conversation started.
Use your influence
Being a teenager is all about change and growth. But one thing stays true: Friends look out for each other.
Tell your friends about the real risks of fake pills and learn to refuse pills that don’t belong to you.
Keep your circle safe
Fentanyl is showing up in fake prescription pills and other drugs like cocaine, meth, and MDMA.
Learn about the simple and powerful tools you can use to help your friends prevent or reverse an opioid overdose.
Respond to an overdose
When someone survives an opioid overdose, it’s because someone else took action to save them. Be that lifesaver.
Learn the signs of an opioid overdose and how to respond using nasal spray or injectable naloxone (Narcan).
Find recovery help
Choosing to recover is a courageous first step. The next step is to make a treatment plan with a provider.
Most plans include MOUD, or medications for opioid use disorder. Learn more about MOUD and how you can support a friend in recovery.
GET NALOXONE
Naloxone is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses and saves lives. When they carry and use naloxone, friends save friends. Brothers save sisters. Parents save their kids. And that’s huge.
