Chester County Medicine Summer 2021 - 19

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apps. Minors and young adults experimenting, as well as regular
substance users, believe they are buying authentic oxycodone,
Adderall, Xanax, or other medicines, but are unwittingly
purchasing counterfeit pills that contain lethal amounts of drugs,
usually fentanyl and methamphetamine. Fentanyl is approximately
100 times more potent than morphine, and 50 times more potent
than heroin as a painkiller. Twenty-six percent of tablets tested in a
DEA laboratory contained a lethal dose of fentanyl.
A lethal dose of fentanyl.
What is their effect on the body?
Counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl can be deadly. A lethal
dose of fentanyl is about two milligrams, equivalent in size to a few
grains of salt. Fentanyl, similar to other commonly used opioid
analgesics (e.g., morphine), produces effects such as relaxation,
euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness,
nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction, and
respiratory depression. Synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl,
remain the primary driver of the increase in overdose deaths,
accounting for 80 percent of all deaths involving an opioid3
.
Counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine are highly
addictive and act on the central nervous system. Taking even small
amounts of methamphetamine can result in wakefulness, increased
physical activity, decreased appetite, rapid breathing and heart rate,
irregular heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and hyperthermia
(overheating).
What are the overdose effects?
Fentanyl overdose may result in stupor, changes in pupillary
size, cold and clammy skin, cyanosis, coma, and respiratory failure
leading to death. The presence of the triad of symptoms such as
coma, pinpoint pupils, and respiratory depression are strongly
suggestive of opioid poisoning.
Methamphetamine overdose may result in death from stroke,
heart attack, or multiple organ problems caused by overheating.
Which drugs cause similar effects?
Drugs that cause similar effects to fentanyl include
other opioids such as morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone,
hydromorphone, methadone, and heroin. Drugs that cause similar
effects to methamphetamine include cocaine and potent stimulant
pharmaceuticals, such as amphetamines and methylphenidate.
What is their legal status in the United States?
Fentanyl-like substances are currently emergency
scheduled through October 22, 2021, as Schedule I narcotics.
Methamphetamine is a Schedule II stimulant. Drug scheduling
information can be found at https://www.dea.gov/druginformation/drug-scheduling.
For
more information, visit www.
getsmartaboutdrugs.com (for parents) and
www.justthinktwice.com (for teens).
1. Moyle L, Childs A, Coomber R, Barratt MJ. #Drugsforsale: An exploration
of the use of social media and encrypted messaging apps to supply and
access drugs. Int J Drug Policy. 2019 Jan;63:101-110. doi: 10.1016/j.
drugpo.2018.08.005. Epub 2018 Dec 7. PMID: 30530252.
2. University of Rhode Island. " ADHD drugs do not improve cognition in
healthy college students. " ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 July 2018.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
SUMMER 2021 | CHESTER COUNTY Medicine 19
https://chestercms.org/index.html https://www.dea.gov/drug http://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com http://www.justthinktwice.com
Chester County Medicine Summer 2021

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