Fentanyl Addiction

Fentanyl was first introduced to the U.S. in the 1960s as an injectable anesthetic branded as Sublimaze. By the early ‘90s, the patch was available for transdermal use. However, the drug did not become widely known in mainstream culture for over two more decades.

When music superstar Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in 2016, the drug was still relatively unknown among Americans. Meanwhile, fentanyl addiction and abuse had quietly been growing more common in the years prior to Prince’s death, spiking between 2014 and 2015. During this time, the death rate of non-methadone synthetic opioids like fentanyl increased by over 70%.

Most often, doctor administer this drug as a fentanyl patch (which adheres to the skin), a lozenge known as a “fentanyl lollipop,” or an injection. However, illicit forms of the drug are not as distinctive.

On the streets, fentanyl and its illicit variations may appear as a powder, which can be melted into a liquid and administered like a heroin injection. In recent years, Hollywood stars have taken to using the lollipops — perhaps because the candies appear so normal and benign.

Legally manufactured fentanyl is sold by pharmaceutical companies under the following brand names and formulations:

• Actiq – lollipops
• Fentora – effervescent buccal tablets
• Duragesic – transdermal patches
• Subsys – sublingual spray
• Abstral – sublingual tablets
• Lazanda – nasal spray

Non-pharmaceutical versions of fentanyl exist on the market, complete with slang terms. Common adulterations involve the addition of heroin or cocaine to fentanyl. Illicit fentanyl is often found as a powder or attached to blotter paper. Here are some common street names for fentanyl or fentanyl-laced heroin:

• Apache
• China Girl
• China White
• Dance Fever
• Friend
• Goodfella
• Jackpot
• Murder 8
• TNT
• Tango
• Cash

“Is fentanyl addictive?” is a commonly asked question regarding this substance, in addiction to the “What is fentanyl?” question. Like other opioids, fentanyl is highly addictive. Therefore, fentanyl addiction can develop fairly easily if this drug is not used as it is prescribed. Since fentanyl — like heroin — impacts the brain’s reward centers, it’s hard to stop using this drug once you have started. (Fortunately, this also means that substance abuse treatment methods used to treat heroin addiction — such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — can also be used to treat fentanyl addiction.)

Fentanyl is most addictive when it is crushed then snorted or injected, and when it is combined with other drugs — including alcohol. However, even with medical supervision, fentanyl addiction and dependency can develop.

It does not take long for fentanyl addiction to develop. For some people, mental fentanyl addiction can begin upon their first use of the drug. Due to its potency, physical dependency and fentanyl addiction can occur after a person has used the drug just a couple of times. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies fentanyl as a Schedule II controlled substance. Drugs within this classification have a high potential for abuse and can cause severe addiction. Alongside fentanyl, Schedule II narcotics include some of the most commonly abused prescription drugs — Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, morphine, codeine, and others.

Fentanyl entered the U.S. medical market in the 1960s. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 labeled fentanyl a Schedule II drug, due to its addictive qualities. As the ‘70s progressed, illicit versions of fentanyl began showing up on the market, increasing the chances of fentanyl addiction.

Fentanyl and other opioids account for the greatest proportion of 21st-century prescription drug addictions in the U.S. Prescription opioid deaths skyrocketed at the turn of the century, and within two years, opioid overdose caused more deaths than cocaine and heroin addiction. Fentanyl deaths skyrocketed between 2014–2015. From January 24 to February 4, 2014, in the Pittsburgh, PA, region alone, 17 deaths were linked to fentanyl-laced heroin. Matters only worsened from there. In early 2016, statistics showed that 9,580 Americans had died the previous year due to fentanyl abuse.

Fentanyl Addiction Stories:

For several years, Hollywood insiders have reported that fentanyl lollipops are sometimes freely available at posh parties in Los Angeles. In 2016, pop superstar Prince died at age 57 from a fentanyl overdose. Throughout the years leading up to his death, Prince had been spotted sucking on lollipops in public — some speculate that the candies contained fentanyl. Celebrities are not the only ones to use fentanyl to get high. When Ontario, Canada resident Michael Morton was a teenager, he stole some fentanyl patches from the pharmacy where he worked.

From the first time he used them, he was hooked. He told Maclean’s, “I fell back in my seat and I fell in love. It was the best high I ever had.” He quickly developed a fentanyl addiction — within a year, he was abusing fentanyl multiple times per day. But when four of his friends died from overdoses, he sought professional fentanyl addiction treatment. Today, he receives regular methadone treatment to help manage his disease. Treatment saved Michael’s life. If you are suffering from fentanyl addiction, treatment can help you too. Take the first step towards life after addiction by getting in touch with The Recovery Village.