The United States is in the midst of a significant drug overdose epidemic where fentanyl is a major contributing factor. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 100,306 people died from a drug overdose within a 12-month period ending in April 2021. This corresponds to a 28.5% increase in overdose-related deaths (78,056) during the same period the previous year.
The new data presented by the CDC calls for some concern, given that the U.S. has recorded a positive growth rate in the number of overdose-related deaths nearly every year since 1999, resulting in the death of over 1 million people over that span.
What’s even more concerning is the fact that nearly 72% of drug overdose cases involved the use of opioids, which has increased over six times since 1999. This was primarily led by fentanyl, which over a seven-year span, rose to become the primary opioid involved in overdose deaths in the U.S., with 84% of opioid-related overdoses linked to fentanyl leading to many calling for increased fentanyl drug testing.
Fentanyl has become the leading drug responsible for today’s U.S. drug overdose epidemic. In fact, data from the National Safety Council (NSC) showed that the risk of Americans dying from an accidental opioid overdose is higher than that of a motor vehicle crash, which shows how threatening this illicit drug has become.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a powerful, synthetic opioid medication used as an analgesic, which is used to treat severe pain. Upon intake, it can trigger different effects similar to other opioid analgesics, which include:
- Relaxation
- Pain relief
- Euphoria
- Sedation
- Drowsiness
- Urinary retention
- Pupillary constriction
- Respiratory depression
Pharmaceutical fentanyl is commonly prescribed as a sedative for intubated patients and those suffering from late-stage renal failure. In addition, some medical professionals use it for pain management in cancer patients and those who have developed a tolerance for opiates. Many doctors can also prescribe fentanyl, along with other medications, for the treatment of epilepsy.
Fentanyl is typically delivered via a drip or through a patch on the skin to deliver small doses. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, which means it takes considerably less to have the same effect as a larger amount of morphine. For instance, it would require only about 100 micrograms of fentanyl to produce the same effect as 10 milligrams of morphine. However, it is precisely due to these powerful opioid properties that make fentanyl prone to abuse.
The Growing Fentanyl Problem
Because of the drug’s powerful opiate properties, fentanyl has become a common ingredient in many unregulated drugs because it is cheap to make. Drug manufacturers only need a small amount to spike heroin or cocaine and improve their potency drastically. In many cases, it can also be formed into pills marketed as prescription pills sold on the street under the guise of other opioids such as MDMA, oxycodone, or alprazolam. What drug users believed to be heroin, cocaine, or other prescription medication turned out to be the more potent fentanyl, which led to the current drug overdose epidemic.
Although the opioid crisis began around the late 1990s when opioid prescriptions were increasing, the U.S. experienced a third wave in 2013. This was fueled by the country’s rapid rise of fentanyl-related overdoses. From accounting for just 4% of opioid deaths in 2011, fentanyl is now the leading cause of overdoses in the country.
Here’s what that looks like by the numbers:
- Fentanyl was found in 57% of all overdose deaths in New York City in 2017.
- Upon testing for fentanyl through urine toxicology, officials found fentanyl in 477 cases, or 89% of all overdose cases in Massachusetts.
- Thirty-six thousand out of 70,630 overdose deaths in the entire country were linked to fentanyl, accounting for 51% of the total cases.
- Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC recorded a 46% increase in overdose cases due to methamphetamine and other stimulant use but was later identified to be caused by fentanyl contamination.
- The City of San Francisco recorded more deaths from fentanyl overdose (699) than COVID-19 deaths (260) in 2020.
As the CDC points out, many of these deaths could have been prevented if individuals had greater access to fentanyl drug testing facilities that can accurately detect the presence of fentanyl in their bodies or in any substance they consume.
Symptoms of An Impending Fentanyl Overdose
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) reports that drug manufacturers are mass-producing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, which means some over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may contain fentanyl.
Here are some key signs to look out for:
- Slowed Breathing. Also known as respiratory depression, prescription users regularly report having a decreased urge to breathe, which reduces the oxygen levels in the body while increasing carbon dioxide levels.
- Dizziness or Confusion. Any sign of dizziness or general confusion can be caused by fentanyl upon entering the body through a patch, by mouth, or by injection.
- Unresponsiveness. At some point, your heart rate or breathing rate may be too slow, resulting in sedation that renders you unresponsive or unable to be woken up.
Knowing the first signs of an overdose protects lives, especially in the cases of accidental overdoses as a result of taking fentanyl-containing prescription medications.
Impact of the Fentanyl Crisis in the Workplace
The effects of the current U.S. drug crisis have extended to the workplace. Many of the effects of drug abuse by participating employees have a significant negative impact.
For example, an NSC survey among U.S. employers found that:
- More than 75% of employers have felt the effects of fentanyl abuse in their workforce, primarily due to greater absenteeism or impairment of worker performance (38%).
- There have been growing concerns over the company’s ability to hire qualified workers (90%) and the cost of benefits and compensation of workers (86%, respectively) rather than the actual abuse or misuse of illegal drugs (75%).
- Only 17% of employers believe their company has the capacity and resources to deal with growing opioid use in the office, such as facilities used in testing for fentanyl.
- Maintaining an opioid-free environment is still a concern, given that only 28% of employers have a training and education program dedicated to the use of opioids.
How Fentanyl Drug Testing Can Help
Greater accessibility to fentanyl drug testing facilities can protect the safety and health of employees, while also saving their lives. Fentanyl drug testing provides people access to life-saving information regarding their exposure to fentanyl, which can help them to make better decisions.
One study conducted in San Francisco found that people were more likely to take safety precautions that prevent drug overdose when presented with information about their exposure to fentanyl. Another study in North Carolina found that with greater access to fentanyl testing kits, people were five times more likely to change their drug use behavior to reduce their risk of overdose. Lastly, a study among young adults in Rhode Island showed a positive change in their overdose risk behavior after obtaining a positive testing result for fentanyl.
As the U.S. drug crisis continues to threaten public safety, consider our fentanyl drug testing services as your partner in protecting the health and welfare of your employees. We aim to help eliminate the risk of more exposure to this highly-potent substance. Test Smartly Labs offers a 9-Panel Lab-Based Drug Testing service that can accurately detect the presence of fentanyl and seven other drugs and metabolites to ensure a drug-free workplace and safe environment.
Learn more about the comprehensive testing methods we use when testing for drugs and alcohol here. Should you have any questions, you can contact Test Smartly Labs anytime, and we will be happy to respond to all of your queries.
