What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid painkiller, up to 100 times more powerful than morphine, and can easily be fatal except when administered by a doctor or via prescription.
Prescription fentanyl is manufactured in extremely precise doses and its use is carefully monitored. Illicit fentanyl, on the street, is an unknown, even to the person mixing it. It is a case of trial and error – and the errors are very often fatal.
The Family
“I’d do anything to get my son back.”
Prescription fentanyl is a powerful medical opioid prescribed in carefully monitored dosage for extreme pain and end-of-life care.
Illegal fentanyl, obtained on the street or online, is of unknown dosage and strength. A small mistake can mean death.
The Friend
“Isabel had got some drugs from a friend, who had got them from another friend and he, who knows?”
Would you know the difference?
Fake pills look like real pills but can be lethal.
Do not accept meds from unknown sources.
Any pill or powder you get on the street may have fentanyl in it. All it takes to die is a few grains. If you take someone else’s word that a drug is safe, they probably did too.
Fentanyl gives no warnings. It has no smell, no special color. It has been showing up in other drugs on the street and at parties.
Whether it’s your first time or your tenth time, it can too easily become your last time.
The Public Health Administrator
“The difference between high and dead is so, so small.”
Heroin overdoses tend to take place in slow motion; people become lethargic, their breathing becomes labored. If not treated with naloxone, they can die.
Fentanyl overdoses are extremely powerful, fast and very often fatal.
Naloxone must be administered immediately.
The Doctor
“I’ve been in the ER for 15 years, but the fentanyl epidemic scares me.”
Be prepared
Learn about and carry naloxone. Know the signs of overdose:
- Difficult to wake up
- Slowed breathing
- Confusion
- Blue or pale lips and fingernails
If you notice these signs, call 911 immediately and give naloxone.
The Sister
“It all started with painkillers my brother was given for routine knee surgery.”
Opioids of any kind are highly addictive even with short-term use. The over-prescription of opioid painkillers has created an epidemic of addiction and overdose in the United States. Once people can no longer get access to prescription opioids, it may lead to a search for illicit street drugs including heroin and fentanyl.
If you or anyone you know is dealing with opioid addiction, talk to your doctor. There are new and effective treatments available.
When in doubt, call 911 and use naloxone.
FIND HELP
Help is available. Overcoming fentanyl abuse is hard but recovery is possible.
If you or someone you know is struggling, contact your healthcare practitioner or find information, understanding, and treatment options below.
NEDHSA OMAPP
(Opioid Misuse & Abuse Prevention Program)
Confidential Narcan training and distribution, harm reduction resources, individual/group grief counseling services
Northeast Delta Human Services Authority
Provides treatment for those with mental health, developmental disabilities and addictive disorders
LaArk Addiction Recovery
Drug and alcohol addiction treatment center for low-income residents of Louisiana
Rayville Recovery
Drug and alcohol addiction treatment center for low-income residents of Louisiana
AppleGate Recovery
Outpatient opioid addiction treatment providing medication-assisted treatment and counseling services
New Day Recovery
Inpatient/Residential Rehab, Medically Supported Detoxification, Dual Diagnosis and Intensive Outpatient Programming
Center for Behavioral Health
Medication, medical services, family therapy, parenting instruction, vocational rehabilitation, and/or social and legal services.
Rays of Sonshine
Specializing in quality, long-term residential care for women who suffer from substance and chemical dependency, who may also have co-occuring mental health disorders
Pecan Haven Addiction Recovery Center
Specializing in residential treatment for adults struggling with substance use, abuse or dependence.
New Hope Addiction Recovery
Specializing in outpatient medication-assisted therapy and aftercare addiction medicine
Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center
Specializing in inpatient and outpatient alcohol and drug treatment
Aimwell Addiction Recovery Center
Specializing in alcohol, drug, gambling and sexual addiction treatment services
TeleMed Clinix Recovery Model
Medication – Assisted Treatment, Mental Health and Psychiatric Services and Clinical Withdrawal Management
Delta Recovery
Offers a variety of therapies and treatments, such as Couples Therapy, Drug Rehab, Family Therapy, Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, Outpatient Treatment (OP), Residential Long Term (>30 Days)
Fresh Start Ministry
A seven-month recovery program, where male and female residents learn to deal with the roots of their addictions from a Christian perspective
Second Chances Addiction Recovery Center
Residential and Intensive outpatient treatment programs, after care rehab and family therapy programs
Milestone Recovery Halfway House
3 to 6 month residential program services women by helping them continue their walk in sobriety, offering professional addiction counseling services while also having an array of activities to further growth
Lincoln Nova Vital Recovery
Provides a holistic approach to recovery treating both mental health and substance abuse
Broken Wings Addiction Recovery
A Christian and Alcoholics Anonymous-based addiction recovery facility that focuses on mind, body, and spiritual wellness
Voices of Recovery
Outpatient group therapy for alcohol and substance abuse
Northeast Substance Abuse
Cognitive/behavioral therapy, Dialectical behavioral therapy, Substance abuse counseling approach, Rational emotive behavioral therapy
Horizon Rehabilitation Center, INC
Outpatient therapy for mental health and substance abuse treatment
Serenity House
Residential treatment for alcohol and drugs offering job assistance and training while transistioning back into society
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