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Illicit Fentanyl Use Surges Past Medical Needs
27 Aug
Summary
- Illicit fentanyl use is more than double its medical application in the U.S.
- Illicit users face triple the overdose risk compared to medical users.
- Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, linked to nearly 70% of U.S. overdose deaths.
Illicit fentanyl use in the United States has more than doubled its medical application, a new study published in eClinicalMedicine indicates. Researchers analyzed data from 2015 to 2023, finding that approximately 71% of nearly 300,000 individuals with fentanyl detected in their urine were using it illicitly.
This pattern contrasts sharply with the 29% who received fentanyl for medical purposes. The study highlights a significant public health threat, as illicit users were found to be three times more likely to suffer an overdose or become addicted. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine, is implicated in nearly 70% of all overdose deaths nationwide, underscoring the urgency of this issue.
