Fentanylities

The mass accumulation of overdose fatalities recorded globally (centering in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside) due to the illicit manufacturing and street-level distribution of the opiate painkiller Fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opiate analgesic similar to but more potent than morphine. It is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, or to manage pain after surgery. It is also sometimes used to treat people with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to opiates. It is a schedule II prescription drug.
In its prescription form, fentanyl is known as Actiq, Duragesic, and Sublimaze.

When prescribed by a physician, fentanyl is often administered via injection, transdermal patch, or in lozenge form. However, the type of fentanyl associated with recent overdoses was produced in clandestine laboratories and mixed with (or substituted for) heroin in a powder form.

Mixing fentanyl with street-sold heroin or cocaine markedly amplifies their potency and potential dangers. Effects include: euphoria, drowsiness/respiratory depression and arrest, nausea, confusion, constipation, sedation, unconsciousness, coma, tolerance, and addiction.

Fentanyl is an opioid (opioid being a synthetic or semi-synthetic chemical compound that has the same agonist action at the mu-opioid receptor as the natural opiates, morphine and codeine).

Fentanyl is quite potent, it is 100x more potent than morphine as a mu-opioid receptor agonist. Thus the doses in pharmaceutical preparations are small -- a Duragesic patch may deliver 25 to 100 micrograms of fentanyl (0.025 to 0.1 milligrams)per hour when worn.

It has the same effects as other opioids: analgesia (pain relief), euphoria, sedation (but not sloppy sedation like with alcohol or benzodiazepines, there is little motor impairment except with very high doses and one retains most of their social inhibition if they wish to not talk ... however...), increased DESIRE to talk to other people (is another effect of opioids caused by the surge of dopamine released in the nucleus accumbens), itching, anxiolysis (relief from anxiety), and occasionally hyperproductivity and often enthusiasm / motivation (despite the sedative effect) due to the dopaminergic actions of opioids.

Fentanyl, like other opioids, is one of the most intrinsically euphoric drugs (opioids and psychomotor stimulants are the most intrinsically / non-set and setting dependent euphoric drugs).

Fentanyl can be highly psychologically and physically addictive, like other opioids.

A rapid acting synthetic opioid narcotic used primarily in surgery. Narrow therapeutic index.

a crazy patch you put on your arm that makes even opiate tolerant people get all spacey and fucked up. Duragesic is the brand name.

A lethal drug that an amount the size 1/10 of a penny will kill you. Often mixed/confused with heroin.

One of the most strongest narcotic agents ever developed. Its 40x more potent than heroin and is often sold on the street as heroin, causing many an accidental death. It comes are Duragesic patches and as lollipops (no joke). The amount of fentanyl in a Duragesic patch is enough to kill a person if they would ingest it directly.