Fentanyl: What is it, what are its effects, how is it consumed and how does it cause an overdose?

Fentanyl is a synthetic drug developed in the 1960s as a more potent and safer alternative to morphine, widely used during major surgical procedures and as an analgesic to treat severe pain.

Illegal fentanyl is marketed in powder, lozenges, in liquid form inside droppers or in drops applied on paper. Like all opioids, fentanyl travels through the bloodstream and reaches the central nervous system.

Fentanyl's journey in the human body begins immediately once it is consumed. Among other things, it produces disengagement, sedation, lethargy, and a sense of well-being.

Fentanyl is the main driver of the opioid crisis in the United States, causing more than 107,000 overdose deaths in 2021, highlighting the difference between its pharmaceutical and illegal forms.

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