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What is fentanyl? KSAT Explains
More than 100,000 people in the U.S. died of drug overdoses in 2021
SAN ANTONIO – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the pharmaceutical fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain.
Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and is prescribed as transdermal patches or lozenges.
The CDC says the most recent cases of fentanyl-related harm, overdose, and death in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl.
Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, increased by over 56% from 2019 to 2020, according to the CDC.
Help is on the Way!
InterAct LifeLIne is developing a mobile solution that utilizes data from smart watches and fitness trackers to detect leading indicators of overdose, alert others and send help. (Coming Soon!)
