- Prescription opioids: Relieve pain by changing the way the brain and body feel pain. Doesn't cure the pain; helps a person manage it.
- Includes hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, codeine, and morphine.
- Fentanyl: A very strong opioid - you can't feel it, see it, smell it or taste it.
- Pharmaceutical fentanyl: prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain. Can be pill, nasal spray, patch, injection.
- Illegally manufactured fentanyl/non-pharmaceutical fentanyl: is sold for its ability to produce good feelings. It is often mixed into illegal drugs and pills made to look like prescription medications.
- Heroin: is an illegal opioid. Known to cause a short-term rush of good feelings. There are no medical uses for heroin. Can be found in pure form or mixed with other drugs.
Fentanyl overdoses are often fatal because it is a very strong substance and doesn't take much to cause an overdose.
If you use drugs, always using with someone is a great way to prevent overdose deaths. If you do not have someone to use with, Never Use Alone Inc. is a resource that will connect you by phone to a peer who has lived experience with substance use. This person will take your name and location, and if you stop responding for more than 30-45 seconds during or after using, they will call EMS services for your area. www.neverusealone.com