Chewing a Fentanyl Patch to Death

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is sold on the streets as heroin or mixed with heroin.  Looking for a high, addicts will buy used patches and chew or suck on the remaining gel.  

Domino Harvey daughter of Screen Star Laurence 

"Life at the Top" Oscar nominated Actor Laurence Harvey's daughter Domino Harvey was 35 years old when she died of an accidental overdose on Fentanyl. 

Virginian Barry Duncan died after chewing on a Fentanyl patch.  He was only 23 years old.   (http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/282256)

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate used as an anesthesia and pain medication.  Physicians prescribe Fentanyl intravenously, as a patch or in a pill form to patients with severe and chronic pain.  The following are some things to understand about the drug Fentanyl.

* Belgian Dr. Paul Janssen designed Fentanyl in the 1950s. 

* Fentanyl was first used as an IV drug in hospitals  in the 1960s.

* Fentanyl is a Schedule II Classified drug.

* Fentanyl is 80 times more powerful than morphine.

* Fentanyl is a narcotic and may cause drug dependency.

* Fentanyl is frequently abused.

* Prescription names: Actiq, Sublimaze, Duragesic.

* Slang or street names: Shug, China Girl, Apache, Great Bear, Murder 8, Jackpot, Goodfellas

* Fentanyl abuse includes IV use, snorting and smoking of the drug.  

According to the National Institutes of Health, "Fentanyl and other opiod drugs work by binding to the body's opiate receptors, highly concentrated in areas of the brain that control pain and emotions.  When opiate drugs bind to these receptors, they can drive up dopamine levels in the brain's reward areas, producing a state of euphoria and relaxation."  

Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug and should only be used under a doctor's care and with patients who have a tolerance for opiates.  Fentanyl has serious side effects which include slow shallow breathing, overdose, and drug dependency.  

To read more on Fentanyl overdose:   http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/437/fentanyl.shtml

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