What Are Fentanyl-Laced Pills?

Fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, has been around since 1959 and has innumerable benefits when properly used as a painkiller as prescribed by a doctor. Because of its potency and fast-acting nature, it’s an invaluable tool for pain management, including quickly calming breakthrough cancer pain and helping people with chronic pain who don’t respond well to other opioids. But it’s become clear over the decades that fentanyl is a highly dangerous drug — one that can easily lead to addiction, health problems, and even death. Headlines about the rising number of opioid overdose deaths in the United States often point to a particular problem: Counterfeit forms of this medication are far too common. So, what are fentanyl-laced pills, and why exactly are they so widespread and deadly? Let’s explore what’s behind this national threat and explain the importance of receiving professional fentanyl addiction treatment in California.

What Is the Oral Form of Fentanyl?

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, properly prescribed fentanyl will be available as a shot or injection, transdermal patch (the drug is absorbed through the skin), or oral lozenges that dissolve. However, it’s increasingly found in other forms as the prevalence of counterfeit fentanyl grows. This illegal fentanyl is made in laboratories as a powder, which can be added to eye droppers, nasal sprays, or shaped into pills to look like other prescription drugs. Because illegal fentanyl is so potent, meaning it takes very little to produce a high, it’s a cheap way of lacing more expensive drugs like heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine. That’s why it’s so dangerous — many people have no idea that what they think they’re taking actually contains illegal fentanyl or any way of knowing the dosage they’re about to consume.

What Does Fentanyl Citrate Do for Addicts?

Fentanyl citrate is simply fentanyl mixed with citric acid to form a salt, which can then be added to its intended form of delivery, whether that’s an injection, skin patch, or oral lozenge. But because it is so powerful — it’s about 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency — it can quickly lead to physical dependence or addiction. Fentanyl works the same way as other opioids, binding to the brain’s opioid receptors that affect how we feel pain and emotions. Over time, our brains adapt to the drug, and that can make it hard to feel good from anything else other than fentanyl. When that happens, people require a specialized treatment program designed for opioids like fentanyl, just like someone addicted to alcohol needs to find an alcohol addiction treatment program.

What Are the Dosages of Fentanyl Tablets?

Counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills are illegally made, with no official oversight or quality control, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency. Because of this illicit creation, it’s hard or even impossible to know just how much fentanyl is in a counterfeit tablet without laboratory testing. The DEA considers just 2 milligrams of fentanyl to be a potentially lethal dose, though the actual amount will vary based on the person’s body size and tolerance to the drug. DEA analysis of seized pills ranged from .02 to 5.1 milligrams per tablet, and 42% of the pills that were tested had at least 2 milligrams of fentanyl.

Can Only 1 Fentanyl Pill Kill You?

Now that you understand what fentanyl-laced pills are and where they come from, is it true that only one pill can kill a person? Unfortunately, yes. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has launched an educational and awareness campaign simply titled “One Pill Can Kill” to highlight this danger, reporting that fentanyl-laced pill seizures are on the rise across America — and many of the pills that they find have a potentially lethal dose of the drug. Illicit manufacturers can make their counterfeit pills look very similar to other prescription drugs, such as Adderall, meaning it’s impossible to know by taste or appearance if a pill is legitimate or might be laced with a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.

The latest statistics paint a grim picture of just how widespread the counterfeit fentanyl problem has become in America. According to a May 2024 research paper published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, deaths from illicitly made fentanyl or its analogs have greatly increased over the past decade, and a higher percentage of all illegal fentanyl seizures are in pill form. A National Public Radio article cited the study and its finding that more than 115 million fentanyl-laced pills were seized by law enforcement agencies in 2023 — a considerable spike from the 71 million pills taken by officers in 2022.

Living Longer Recovery Can Help You Avoid the Risks of Fentanyl-Laced Pills

Now that you know what fentanyl-laced pills are and why they’re so dangerous, it’s important to realize that people who abuse prescription opioids and other medications, as well as illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin, are at a much higher risk of accidental ingestion and overdose. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know if that counterfeit drug or cocaine contains fentanyl — or if it contains a potentially lethal dose of this potent drug. That’s why the only way to not be at risk of a fentanyl overdose is not to use drugs like this that may be laced with synthetic opioids.

At Living Longer Recovery’s Desert Hot Springs drug and alcohol rehab, we offer a specialized opiate addiction treatment program that’s proven to help people overcome their dependence on opioids like fentanyl and achieve lasting recovery. Our specialists and experts know that addiction treatment requires a multifaceted approach of therapy, medical detox, and holistic treatments like yoga or meditation to help people have the best chance for continued recovery. We can help you or your loved one. Call us today at 866-714-3294 to learn more about how to get started.

External Sources

• United States Drug Enforcement Administration — One Pill Can Kill
• ScienceDirect — National and Regional Trends in Fentanyl Seizures in the United States, 2017-2023
• National Institute on Drug Abuse — What Is Fentanyl?
• United States Drug Enforcement Administration — Facts About Fentanyl
• National Public Radio — Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills Are Becoming a Lot More Common in Law Enforcement Seizures