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Is there some group of people who are taking fentanyl en masse intentionally? I know a few people who have died after taking what they thought were bars or ecs

Is there some group of people who are taking fentanyl en masse intentionally? I know a few people who have died after taking what they thought were bars or ecstasy and died because it was laced with fentanyl. I know 0 who go out of their way to find and take fentanyl.

agentwiggles 4y ago
Wildly anecdotal, this is like thirdhand info, so take with a bunch of salt. But I have heard before that heroin/opioid addicts have begun to deliberately seek fentanyl because it's cheaper and more potent. It makes at least some sense given the common narrative of the pipeline from painkiller addiction to heroin (i.e. it's the same relationship - people who are addicted to painkillers may transition to heroin because it's cheaper and more powerful).
- KMag 4y ago
  I've heard it's cheaper, but the half-life is so short that just to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay, addicts need to dose more often than if they're using heroine, oxycodone, etc.
KMag 4y ago
Right. My understanding is that it's very common to have fake oxycodone or heroine that's fentanyl or carfentanyl, and the short half-life of fentanyl and carfentanyl means that addicts will get withdrawl symptoms in just a few hours. My understanding is that heroine and oxycodone have long enough half-lives that many people can hold down jobs and generally be pretty functional by taking small doses before work (and maybe mid-shift, not sure). My understanding is that it's nearly impossible to do something similar with fentanyl/carfentanyl. Though, I have little exposure to hard drug culture, and get most of my information from headlines.
denimnerd42 4y ago
Yes people take fentanyl intentionally. The real heroin, the real opioid pills, and other forms of opioids have mostly dried up. Now we get fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, and other potent synthetic opioids that aren't well tracked. The reason is that it's extremely potent so it's easier to smuggle from China, Mexico, wherever it's being made. So now you get "pressies" [homemade pressed pills] which is diluted fentanyl. Everyone knows it's fentanyl. Everyone knows you can't get real heroin in the US anymore. They know these fake pills aren't real. Even worse, when the fentanyl dries up they start cutting it with xylazine and other bullshit that narcan doesn't even work on. Research areas such as Kensington and the blighted areas of Baltimore. There's videos on youtube showing just how many users are out on the streets. You can imagine how many more are still not down to that level yet. You can also look at the opioid and drug subreddits. It's all fent and everyone wishes they could get their impure crappy brown heroin back.
- Alex3917 4y ago
  > The reason is that it's extremely potent so it's easier to smuggle from China, Mexico, wherever it's being made. Which is also why this won't work. Even 100% of the population were vaccinated against fentanyl, the end result would just be even more deaths because dealers would switch to using carfentanyl.
- rcpt 4y ago
  Would this be solved by legalizing and regulating opiates?
  - denimnerd42 4y ago
    You would think. But FDA is going opposite direction making legal opiates even harder to get by putting pressure on doctors.
    - rcpt 4y ago
      Yeah. The way I understand it is that most users would prefer natural opiates but they're getting more and more expensive while synthetics are cheaper than ever. And, because the market is unregulated, even if you try to buy heroin you'll end up getting fentanyl mixed in anyway.
      - denimnerd42 4y ago
        Yeah "heroin" can often be this weird brown product they mix in mexico. who knows what they add. whatever opiate like drug they have their hands on.
pazimzadeh 4y ago
late stage cancer patients are often prescribed it
kjkjadksj 4y ago
I would say most users now are taking the drug intentionally. I know of people who do seek out fent or fent laced drugs specifically. Its a lot cheaper to buy than heroin or any other opioid these days.

agentwiggles 4y ago

Wildly anecdotal, this is like thirdhand info, so take with a bunch of salt. But I have heard before that heroin/opioid addicts have begun to deliberately seek fentanyl because it's cheaper and more potent. It makes at least some sense given the common narrative of the pipeline from painkiller addiction to heroin (i.e. it's the same relationship - people who are addicted to painkillers may transition to heroin because it's cheaper and more powerful).

KMag 4y ago
I've heard it's cheaper, but the half-life is so short that just to keep the withdrawal symptoms at bay, addicts need to dose more often than if they're using heroine, oxycodone, etc.

KMag 4y ago

Right. My understanding is that it's very common to have fake oxycodone or heroine that's fentanyl or carfentanyl, and the short half-life of fentanyl and carfentanyl means that addicts will get withdrawl symptoms in just a few hours. My understanding is that heroine and oxycodone have long enough half-lives that many people can hold down jobs and generally be pretty functional by taking small doses before work (and maybe mid-shift, not sure). My understanding is that it's nearly impossible to do something similar with fentanyl/carfentanyl. Though, I have little exposure to hard drug culture, and get most of my information from headlines.

denimnerd42 4y ago

Yes people take fentanyl intentionally. The real heroin, the real opioid pills, and other forms of opioids have mostly dried up. Now we get fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, and other potent synthetic opioids that aren't well tracked. The reason is that it's extremely potent so it's easier to smuggle from China, Mexico, wherever it's being made. So now you get "pressies" [homemade pressed pills] which is diluted fentanyl. Everyone knows it's fentanyl. Everyone knows you can't get real heroin in the US anymore. They know these fake pills aren't real. Even worse, when the fentanyl dries up they start cutting it with xylazine and other bullshit that narcan doesn't even work on. Research areas such as Kensington and the blighted areas of Baltimore. There's videos on youtube showing just how many users are out on the streets. You can imagine how many more are still not down to that level yet. You can also look at the opioid and drug subreddits. It's all fent and everyone wishes they could get their impure crappy brown heroin back.

Alex3917 4y ago
> The reason is that it's extremely potent so it's easier to smuggle from China, Mexico, wherever it's being made. Which is also why this won't work. Even 100% of the population were vaccinated against fentanyl, the end result would just be even more deaths because dealers would switch to using carfentanyl.
rcpt 4y ago
Would this be solved by legalizing and regulating opiates?
- denimnerd42 4y ago
  You would think. But FDA is going opposite direction making legal opiates even harder to get by putting pressure on doctors.
  - rcpt 4y ago
    Yeah. The way I understand it is that most users would prefer natural opiates but they're getting more and more expensive while synthetics are cheaper than ever. And, because the market is unregulated, even if you try to buy heroin you'll end up getting fentanyl mixed in anyway.
    - denimnerd42 4y ago
      Yeah "heroin" can often be this weird brown product they mix in mexico. who knows what they add. whatever opiate like drug they have their hands on.

pazimzadeh 4y ago

late stage cancer patients are often prescribed it

kjkjadksj 4y ago

I would say most users now are taking the drug intentionally. I know of people who do seek out fent or fent laced drugs specifically. Its a lot cheaper to buy than heroin or any other opioid these days.