Every year in the United States, more than 100,000 people die from drug overdoses. Of that horrifying total almost two-thirds – 64,000 – are killed by fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl is now by far the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, killing as many each year as Covid, car accidents and suicide combined. The overdose rate is highest in Black and Indigenous Americans, and has risen most rapidly among young people. Huge numbers of these deaths go unreported, but a handful make national headlines. Just last month, NFL linebacker Jaylon Ferguson was found dead from the combined effects of cocaine and fentanyl. He was 26.
Many of those who die from fentanyl overdoses have no idea they’ve even taken it. The substance has been found in counterfeit pills that purport to be prescription medications including Oxycodone, Percocet and Xanax. It has also found its way into street drugs such as cocaine, meth and heroin, which means even longtime users may be unprepared for their potency. After the death of The Wire actor Michael K Williams last September from a combination of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl, his nephew Dominic Dupont made it clear that Williams “would not have knowingly taken fentanyl”, stating: “I know that like I know my first name.”
