SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF FENTANYL
The danger for a person who consumes fentanyl, either intentionally or unintentionally, is that they can too easily suffer a fatal overdose—even after a single use.1
- Death
- Sedation
- Confusion
- Poor physical coordination
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Tiny pupils
- Constipation
- Headache
- Respiratory depression
“Two years ago today, I buried my son. He was 29 and he took a black-market Xanax pill that was laced with fentanyl. He went to sleep and never woke up.”
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF FENTANYL
The most obvious long-term effect of fentanyl is addiction. Because the drug is so powerful, addiction can occur quickly. This is one of the reasons some drug dealers add fentanyl to methamphetamine or cocaine—to get their customers hooked on their drugs fast.2
Dealers also mix fentanyl with other drugs because only small quantities are needed to get a user high. Adding fentanyl makes other drugs more powerful and cheaper, but also more deadly.
- Addiction
- Permanent damage to respiratory system
- Mental fog
- Damage to liver and kidneys
- Depression, anxiety and mood swings
- Suppressed immune system
- Death
REFERENCES
- Fentanyl Factsheet, United States Drug Enforcement Administration
- Long-Term Effects of Fentanyl, Rising Phoenix Center, June 8, 2023
