WHAT IS FENTANYL?
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic (man-made) opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morhpine. Fentanyl can be prescribed but is also made and used illegally. Unfortunately, fentanyl is strategically added in all types of drugs – including but not limited to cocaine, heroin, meth, and pressed pills. The most common drugs involved in overdose deaths involve fentanyl. Often, an individual consumes fentanyl without knowing. If you use any street drugs, it is suggested to test your drugs for fentanyl before consumption. It could save your life.
WHAT ARE FENTANYL TEST STRIPS?
Fentanyl test strips are a form of drug testing technology shown to be effective at detecting the presence of fentanyl in drugs before use. Fentanyl test strips can identify the presence of fentanyl in unregulated drugs, such as those bought on the street. They can test injectable drugs, powders, and pills. Being aware that fentanyl is present allows people to implement appropriate harm reduction strategies to reduce the risk of an overdose, such as not using the substance at all, using less of the substance, or doing a “test shot”.
HOW TO USE FENTANYL TEST STRIPS
1.
Add about 1/2 teaspoon water to your empty baggie or cooker and mix well.
2.
Hold blue end of test strip and dip other end into the water. Don’t go past the first blue line on the test strip. Hold it there for 15 seconds.
3.
Put test strip on a flat surface. In less than a minute, you’ll start to see results appear.
1 RED LINE =
POSITIVE FOR FENTANYL
2 RED LINEs =
NEGATIVE FOR FENTANYL, USE WITH CAUTION
NARCAN®
NARCAN® is a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, including those caused by fentanyl. It’s 100% safe and should be your go-to-in all suspected overdose situations, even if they are false alarms.
HOW TO USE IT
There are a few types of NARCAN®. The most common type is a nasal spray. Below are the instructions on how to use it.
1.
Make sure the person is lying down with their head tilted back.
2.
Insert nozzle into one nostril and press plunger firmly. Start rescue breathing.
3.
If no response after 3 minutes, administer the second does in the other nostril.
WHERE TO GET NARCAN®
NARCAN® can be found at pharmacies and many clinics. In addition, you can have NARCAN® mailed to you or use the location finder to find NARCAN® near you.
DON'T FACE A CRISIS ALONE
Crisis Hotline
988
Call if you’re in crisis or need to talk to a trained professional.
This website was funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control Division of Overdose Prevention (DOP) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC).
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