Fentanyl facts everyone needs to know

Why is fentanyl so deadly?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times stronger than morphine. 14 That means only a few salt-sized grains can cause a lethal overdose.

Why is fentanyl showing up in street drugs in Virginia?

It’s often mixed into other drugs or pressed into fake pills because it’s cheap and powerful. 23 Lacing drugs lets dealers stretch their supply and sell more.

How can I tell if a drug is laced?

Fentanyl is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. 10–12 There’s no reliable way to tell if the pill or bump is laced just by looking. 13

How many drugs get laced with fentanyl?

In 2025, almost 1 in 3 pills that were tested contained lethal doses of fentanyl. 15 “Party favors” and “study pills” like addies, cocaine, and xanies are among the most common drugs laced.

What is naloxone (Narcan®)?

Naloxone, commonly called Narcan®, is a lifesaving nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. 22 Anyone can get it in all 50 states. It’s safe to use on people of all ages and won’t hurt them even if they aren’t overdosing.

Will I get in trouble for calling 911?

In case of an overdose, the Virginia Good Samaritan Law provides legal protection if you seek emergency help for yourself or someone else. Remember to wait until help arrives.

Sources

1. Rate of fatal fentanyl overdose
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, February 13). SUDORS dashboard: Fatal drug overdose data.
2. Preventable drug overdose deaths
National Safety Council. (n.d.). Drug overdoses. Injury Facts. 
3. Overdose deaths and emergency room visits in Virginia
Virginia Department of Health. (2025, December 11). Drug overdose emergency department visits by health region.
4. The fentanyl crisis in Virginia
Virginia Department of Health. (2026, April 28). Drug overdose and substance use.
5. 2 in 5 people know someone who has died from overdose
RAND. (2024, February 21). More than 40 percent of Americans know someone who died of drug overdose; 13 percent say deaths have disrupted their lives.
6. Symptoms of oxygen loss to the brain
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, March 8). Cerebral hypoxia.
7. Side effects of a nonfatal overdose
Zibbell, J., Howard, J., Duhart Clarke, S., Ferrell, A., & Karon, S. (2019, September 3). Non-fatal opioid overdose and associated health outcomes: Final summary report. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
8. Opioid overdose can cause brain hypoxia
Mosel, S. (2024, December 16). Brain damage from alcohol and drugs: Are the effects reversible? American Addiction Centers.
9. Illicit pills can change hands 10 times
Mars, S. G., Rosenblum, D., & Ciccarone, D. (2019). Illicit fentanyls in the opioid street market: Desired or imposed?. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 114(5), 774–780.
10. Fentanyl is flooding the opioid supply
Rothberg, R. L., & Stith, K. (2018). Fentanyl: A whole new world?. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics: A Journal of the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 46(2), 314–324.
11. Fentanyl is colorless and odorless
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 2). Fentanyl facts.
12. Fentanyl is impossible to see, smell, and taste
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 2). Fentanyl facts.
13. You can’t test for fentanyl without fentanyl test strips
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 2). Fentanyl facts.
14. Fentanyl is about 100x more powerful than morphine
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 2). Fentanyl facts.
15. As of 2025, 1 in 3 pills can contain fentanyl
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2026, January). Counterfeit pills fact sheet.
16. A few salt-sized grains of fentanyl are deadly
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Facts about fentanyl.
17. Fentanyl is often mixed into counterfeit pills
Raheemullah, A., & Andruska, N. (2019). Fentanyl analogue overdose: Key lessons in management in the synthetic opioid age. Journal of Opioid Management, 15(5), 428–432.
18. All types of street drugs are laced with fentanyl
Northwestern University. (n.d.). Fentanyl overdose prevention.
19. Fentanyl is being laced in illicit pills and powders
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). The facts about fentanyl.
20. Fentanyl overdose can look like someone sleeping
Columbia University Irving Medical Center. (n.d.). Fentanyl overdose. ColumbiaDoctors.
21. How to spot signs of fentanyl overdose
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 8). Preventing opioid overdose.
22. Naloxone can reverse a fentanyl overdose
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (2026, January). Counterfeit pills fact sheet.
23. Fentanyl is mixed into street drugs because it’s cheap and powerful
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Fentanyl.