There was a reported amount of nearly 70,000 deaths related to synthetic opioid overdose, with a majority of the overdosing being fentanyl in 2021. Approximately 150 people overdose on synthetic opioids every day, making it one of the most common drugs in overdose cases in America.

When prescribed, fentanyl is for severe pain. Some common brand names of prescribed fentanyl are Actiq, Duragesic and Sublimaze. However, fentanyl can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, leading it to be popular in the drug market. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) is cheap to make, so illicit drug producers can use IMF as a way to strengthen the effects of drugs whilst keeping costs down. Common forms of IMF include drops on either candy, paper, eye drops, nasal sprays and powder, according to cdc.gov.

Two milligrams is considered a lethal dose of fentanyl. That is equivalent to only a few grains of salt. With that small of an amount being able to cause death, it puts into perspective how easily people can overdose on fentanyl. Additionally, IMF is commonly used to lace other drugs, or to masquerade as a prescription medication like oxycodone. Fentanyl is odorless and does not have a unique taste, making it hard to identify if mixed with other substances, according to americanaddictioncenters.org.

In the drug market, IMF is generally produced by the kilogram. One kilogram of fentanyl could kill nearly the same amount of people that died in the American Civil War, which is approximately 620,000 people, according to nps.gov.