Overdose or murder? Fentanyl, the deadly drug that killed Coolio, and has wreaked havoc in the US, creeps into Ireland. Beware.

It's 50 times stronger than heroin and is an end-of-life medication in Irish hospices, Fentanyl can look like rainbow coloured sweets on the street but has devastating consequences...

Fentanyl, the killer drug that keeps popping up in celebrity deaths, is destroying lives at an alarming rate across the US and is about to hit Europe. The latest star to succumb to its effects, rapper Coolio, best known for his 1995 hit, Gangsta’s Paradise.

Other celebrities whose deaths are attributed to the ‘painkiller drug’ include, Cranberries front-woman Dolores O’Riordan, Tom Petty, Michael Jackson, Prince and The Wire actor Michael K Williams, to name but a few. The list is long and even longer for those out of the public eye.

Le Point reports on the situation in the US:

In 2021, overdoses killed one person there every five minutes, resulting in nearly 108,000 deaths. The figure is up 15% compared to 2020. In question: fentanyl, which has become the most deadly drug in the United States. 

In his State of the Union address in February of this year, US President Joe Biden claimed Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year. The statement was met with cries of It’s your fault, Border and More than 70,000 from incensed Republicans. Deaths attributed to Fentanyl jumped 23% during Biden’s first year in office but have been on the increase since 2014 and rose during Trump’s tenure too. Forbes reports: 

Between 2019 and 2020, the last year of Trump’s presidency, the increase in drug overdose deaths from synthetic opioids was 55%.

It’s not clear how much of that percentage can be attributed to Fentanyl but both presidents claim to have taken action against the misuse of the drug, while the number of deaths rose.

Here’s how the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) describes Fentanyl:

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.A.

There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Both are considered synthetic opioids. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer.

However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous.

In Ireland Fentanyl is used officially as part of end of life care. Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services in Harold’s Cross, Blackrock and Wicklow include the drug in their palliative medication information, alongside midazolam, morphine and methadone.

On the streets, there are signs Fentanyl is about to hit Ireland. Are we prepared for its deadly consequences? In an Irish Examiner report in December 2021, Dr Austin Carroll, founder of Safetynet Primary Care (and HSE clinical lead in the Covid-19 response for the homeless), warned street tablets could be laced with Fentanyl.

He said this was because fentanyl was stronger than heroin and whereas injecting was required to overdose on heroin, an overdose on fentanyl could occur through smoking the drug.

Dr O'Carroll said it could also hint at the possibility of drug dealers trying to introduce the drug onto the market, given that it is easier to transport in higher quantities than heroin and therefore potentially more profitable.

In October 2022, an Irish Times headline read:

Fentanyl could be next wave of drugs crisis in Ireland, expert warns

Dublin charity says Government drugs policy not prepared for arrival of deadly synthetic opiate

Another worrying trend is the focus on children and young adults with brightly coloured tablets aimed to make fentanyl more attractive and sweet-like. In August 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning to parents in the US:

“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colours, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,”said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. 

Obviously the best solution to all of this is to not take any drugs in the first place but the addictive nature of opioids means it’s increasingly difficult for users to just stop without withdrawal symptoms. Fentanyl is a killer, and could easily be laced with other drugs as a means to murder an individual and make it look like an overdose. It’s another one to look out for on the list of highly toxic medications and an added reason to stay clean or to clean up your act.

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