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Opioid Crisis: Synthetic Opioids

Opioid Epidemic in the United States

Heroin

  • An estimated 4-6% of people who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin (National Institute on Drug Abuse).
  • People who are addicted to prescription pain pills are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin (CDC).

  • 80% of heroin users in the U.S. report misusing prescription opioids prior to using heroin.

it starts with pills

Image source: Ohio Opioid Education Alliance

United States

  • Heroin addiction rates have risen about 90% in the past decade (to about 1 in every 500 people).
  • Heroin addiction rates have doubled since 2002.
  • The number of patients in heroin treatment centers nearly doubled from 2014 to 2017.

North Dakota

  • Here is a look at the heroin-related violations in North Dakota over the last few years that clearly shows the rise of the drug in the state (ND Attorney General).
    • 2010: 4
    • 2011: 19
    • 2012: 17
    • 2013: 26
    • 2014: 90
    • 2015: 177
    • 2016: 299
    • 2017: 299
    • 2018: 292
    • 2019: 325
    • 2020: 355

Heroin Abusers per 1,000 People

Image source: BuzzFeed News

Why is heroin use on the rise? Why do abusers of prescription opioid pills transition to heroin?

  • The price: heroin is cheaper than ever before.

price of heroin

Image source: BuzzFeed News

To learn more about heroin, visit these websites:

Fentanyl

  • Fentanyl is a synthetic (man-made) opioid.
  • Prescribed in the form of transdermal patches, tablets, lozenges, or nasal sprays.
  • Can also be illegally made (often mixed into other drugs like heroin or cocaine).
  • Fentanyl is 20 times more profitable than heroin (BuzzFeed News).
    • One kilogram purchased from China for $3,000-5,000 can generate revenue up to $1.5 million in the United States (Bloomberg).

Fentanyl will love you to death

Image source: Flickr

  • Fentanyl is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin.
  • Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

Power of Fentanyl

Image source: CDC

  • It only takes 2 or 3 milligrams of fentanyl to kill (BuzzFeed News).
  • It would only take 118 pounds of fentanyl to kill 25 million people (Bloomberg).

lethal dose of fentanyl

A lethal dose of fentanyl (image source: DEA via Wikimedia).

Because fentanyl is more powerful and profitable than heroin, its use has increased drastically in the last couple of years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

  • "Since 2013, law enforcement encounters (drug submitted for analysis) testing positive for fentanyl… has sharply increased in a growing number of states."
  • "Most of the increases in fentanyl deaths over the last three years do not involve prescription fentanyl but are related to illicitly-made fentanyl that is being mixed with or sold as heroin—with or without the users’ knowledge and increasing as counterfeit pills."
  • "The current fentanyl crisis continues to expand in size and scope across the United States."

Number of Reported Law Enforcement Encounters Testing Positive for Fentanyl

Image source: CDC

Reported Law Enforcement Fentanyl Encounters per 100,000 Residents

Image source: BuzzFeed News via the CDC

To learn more about fentanyl, visit these websites:

Carfentanil

  • Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid similar to fentanyl, but more powerful.
  • Often mixed with other drugs (like heroin) to make it stronger.
  • Normally used to tranquilize large mammals (like elephants).
  • There is no approved human use for carfentanil.
  • DEA says much of the carfentanil being sold on the streets is illegally imported from China.
  • Carfentanil is up to 100 times more powerful than heroin.
  • Carfentanil is up to 10,000 times more powerful than morphine.

To learn more about carfentanil, visit these websites:

Lethal Doses of Heroin, Fentanyl, & Carfentanil

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