A report from the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy underscores the dangers of fentanyl, an extremely potent opioid that is leading to more overdose deaths, often because dealers mix it with heroin and sell the lethal blend to unwitting addicts.
Fentanyl-related deaths have been on the rise across the country over the past year, and experts say many addicts are not aware they are consuming the drug. It is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin and can prove deadly at very low levels, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
In Kentucky, fentanyl was a factor in 420 fatal overdoses in 2015, up from 121 in the previous year. The drug contributed to 34 percent of all overdose deaths in the state, frequently in combination with heroin or other drugs.
Overall, fatal overdoses totaled 1,248 last year, compared to 1,071 in 2014. Heroin was detected in 28 percent of cases, consistent with the previous year. However, as a total, heroin-related deaths increased in 2015, largely because the drug is being laced with fentanyl.
According to the DEA, international drug cartels are producing fentanyl in illicit labs or smuggling it over the southern U.S. border. Traffickers use it to spike heroin or mix it with other binding agents before selling it on the street. The drug’s high potency allows them to reap more profit.
Even in prescription form, fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II narcotic, and only prescribed for severe pain, often near the end of a patient’s life.
Along with efforts to combat heroin, the Kentucky General Assembly and the Office of Drug Control Policy have been collaborating on efforts to fight fentanyl abuse in recent years.
The legislature passed a bill in 2015 to improve treatment and increase penalties for traffickers. The measure also included a number of harm reduction efforts, such as improved access to naloxone, a life-saving drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.
Under the new law, trafficking in two or more grams of heroin or fentanyl is now considered a Class C felony for the first offense and a Class B felony for subsequent offenses. The legislation also classified synthetic fentanyl as a Schedule I narcotic.
In addition, Governor Matt Bevin and the General Assembly increased funding for anti-drug efforts in the upcoming state budget. The plan allocates $15.7 million in fiscal year 2017 and $16.3 million in fiscal year 2018. That’s compared to the $10 million in the current fiscal year.
The report was compiled with data from the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office, the Kentucky Injury Prevention & Research Center and the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics.
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