Fentanyl now associated with majority of drug overdoses nationwide
Dec 13, 2018, 3:40 PM | Updated: 5:59 pm
In this Oct. 22, 2018 file photo, a fentanyl user holds a needle near Kensington and Cambria in Philadelphia. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)
(David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, File)
PHOENIX — Fentanyl is now the No. 1 drug involved in overdoses nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports usage spiked 113 percent each year from 2013 to 2016.
Why? Fentanyl is easy to smuggle from overseas and steal from medicine cabinets, according to one Phoenix-area emergency department physician and toxicologist.
“One drop of fentanyl would be equivalent to about 10 to 12 drops of heroin,” said Dr. Frank LoVecchio with Banner Poison, Drug and Information Center.
He also says the synthetic opioid used for pain often gets mixed with other drugs by illegal dealers, making it more dangerous.
LoVecchio adds hospitals must work fast to find fentanyl before it leaves people’s systems.
“We’ve upgraded our lab systems to look for it,” he said. “Probably, 10 years ago, we almost never looked for it. Now, we look for it every time.”
