Fentanyl Facts (Text Version)

In the Fairfax Health District in 2022

• [Hospital icon on an arrow pointing upward with text "50%"] Non-fatal opioid overdose emergency room visits increased 50% from 2019 to 2022.
• [80 stick figures shaded dark blue, 2 sitck figures shaded teal] 80 of 82 fatal opioid overdoses, 98%, involved fentanyl.

In 2022, Youth Under 18:

• [Hospital icon on an arrow pointing upward with text "27 visits"] Non-fatal opioid overdose emergency room visits increased from 0 to 27 from 2019 – 2022.
• [A row of 7 stick figures] There were 7 fatal opioid overdoses, all involving fentanyl, from 2020 – September 2022.

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid. 

• [Skull and crossbones icon] Up to 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, it can be deadly.
• [Beaker-molecule concept icon] SYNTHETIC. Illicit fentanyl is manufactured in illegal labs.
• [Pill icon] OPIOID. Opioids are a potentially addictive group of drugs used to reduce pain.

In the U.S.

• [Map of United States] Fake pills have been found in all 50 states.
• [Icon representing various drugs in a circle with a line through it]. Illicit fentanyl is being used to make fake prescription pills. It is also found in common street drugs like cocaine, MDMA ,and heroin.
• [Magnifying glass icon] You can't see, taste, or smell fentanyl. It is often consumed unknowingly by users, and is driving the recent increase in U.S. overdose deaths.
• [Icon with ! inside a triangle] Assume any prescription pill you see online is fake, including Oxy, Percocet, Adderall and Xanax. Only take pills from your pharmacist.

Call or text 9-1-1 if a situation is immediately life-threatening.

[Icon of naloxone] Naloxone (Narcan) is a nasal spray that reverses fentanyl overdoses and saves lives. Learn more: fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/heroin-opioids/revive.

[Icon of a mouse cursor]

• Learn more and find support resources: fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/opioids
• See more Fairfax Health District data: fairfaxcounty.gov/health/opioid-overdoses-data
• fairfaxcounty.gov/health
• [Facebook logo] fairfaxcountyhealth
• [Twitter and Instagram logos] fairfaxhealth

Sources

• cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl
• fentanylawarenessday.org
• Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics(ESSENCE)
• Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Health

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