Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid that is used to treat severe pain, such as that associated with surgery or late-stage cancer.
While it has useful applications in the medical field, it has become increasingly easy to purchase for illicit drug use.
Illegal fentanyl production has been on the rise and accounts for a significant portion of the fentanyl sold on the street.
How Much Fentanyl Costs On The Street
Fentanyl is stronger than similar prescription opioids like Vicodin, Percocet, or OxyContin and is anywhere from 50 to 100 times as powerful as morphine.
Large quantities of illicit fentanyl are created in countries like Mexico and China and then shipped to America for distribution.
The drug is cheap to produce, and drug dealers may use cutting agents to further increase their profits. Due to this, the street value of fentanyl is often much cheaper than similar illegal drugs.
Dosage | Price |
---|---|
.5 mg | 50 cents - $1 |
1 g | $50 - $200 |
Fentanyl Patch | $10 - $100 |
Since doses of fentanyl are extremely small (roughly 0.1 mg), it is also considered a very cheap drug compared to other prescription painkillers.
Factors That Affect The Street Cost Of Fentanyl
There are numerous factors that can influence the street costs of illicit fentanyl.
One of the most significant is location. People generally pay much less in major cities like New York or San Francisco and more in rural areas such as Montana, Ohio, or Wyoming.
Purity can also affect cost. Pure fentanyl is more expensive than cut substances.
Fentanyl bought on the dark web drug market is usually more expensive than fentanyl purchased on the street, although prices tend to be lower if someone buys large amounts, which comes with significantly greater legal risks.
Fentanyl Variants Sold On The Street
Fentanyl comes in a few forms: powder, injections, nasal spray, pills or tablets, lozenges, and patches. Each of these has a different cost. Some people also sell illicit fentanyl “lollipops.”
Having various ways to use the drug may also increase its popularity, because some forms of use are easier to hide or easier to take than others.
People with severe opioid addictions may turn to illicit fentanyl due to ease of access, because heroin and other opiate drugs have become more difficult to buy in recent years.
Common Street Names For Illicit Fentanyl
There are a number of street names for fentanyl.
These include:
- Apache
- China Girl or China Town
- Dance Fever
- Tango & Cash
- Goodfellas
- Friend
- Jackpot
- Great Bear
- Murder 8
Fentanyl may also be referred to as oxycodone by some people, but it is not the same as this prescription drug.
Dangers Of Purchasing Street Fentanyl
Purchasing illicit fentanyl carries a lot of serious risks. There is no regulation of illegally manufactured fentanyl, so its purity and strength are unknown.
It’s not uncommon for drug dealers to lace fake prescription pills or illicit drugs with fentanyl to create repeat customers due to the extremely addictive nature of fentanyl and its powerful effects.
Fentanyl addiction may involve tolerance to opioids, which may cause people to take larger or more frequent doses to achieve the same effects, increasing the risk of fatal overdose.
In addition to serious physical effects, fentanyl abuse also comes with mental health risks, with long-term side effects such as depression and anxiety disorders.
Using any street drugs today comes with the risk of fentanyl overdose, since heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and other drugs are often cut with fentanyl.
Fentanyl is now one of the top causes of death among American adults nationwide, with more than 73,000 opioid overdose deaths attributed to the drug in 2022.
Treatment Services For Fentanyl Addiction
While fentanyl abuse is not easy to overcome, it is possible to recover with addiction treatment.
Since opioid withdrawal can, in severe cases, be life-threatening, people with fentanyl addiction often require inpatient substance abuse treatment and medically assisted detox services.
While in a treatment facility, clients may take part in individual or group therapy, 12-step meetings, relapse prevention education, family counseling, and other evidence-based services.
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with methadone, Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone), or naltrexone is also common for opioid abuse recovery.
These medications bind to opioid receptors to stop the euphoric effects of the drug while also reducing withdrawal symptoms.
With proper care, people can overcome fentanyl abuse and achieve lasting sobriety.
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Article Sources- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Fentanyl
https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html - Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Drug Fact Sheet: Fentanyl
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Fentanyl-2020_0.pdf - National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) – Drug Overdose Death Rates
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates - National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) – Fentanyl
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/fentanyl