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Sounds Like: uh.PAH.tchay
Classification: Opioid Analgesic
Controlled Substance Act Schedule: I
Other names for Apache
Apache is another name for fentanyl, one of the most powerful opioids of abuse on the black market. The drug is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine, the first widely used opioid in history. Fentanyl is powerful in small quantities, meaning it’s a great option for illegal drug dealers who want to make the most amount of money for a smaller amount of drug. More overdoses in the US are attributed to fentanyl than any other drug on the black market today.
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Fentanyl has legal, legitimate use in the medical industry. It can be used in various forms to treat pain in cancer patients or those with otherwise untreatable pain. The drug can be used for non-medical purposes, particularly in other drugs purchased off the streets. Fentanyl is intended to make dealers the most money possible with the least amount of product. Many clandestine chemists that produce illegal drugs will lace their products with fentanyl. Zero quality control is present in this process, meaning that unsuspecting users can get dosed with a fatal dose of fentanyl. Users crave the euphoric feeling this painkiller gives them.
Fentanyl, when used as a prescription, can come in many forms. Fentanyl patches are used for skin absorption in high amounts, it can be provided in pill form, or it can come as a “lollipop” form where users are instructed to suck on a lozenge at the end of a stick. Illegal use of the drug can take many forms. Some users snort, inject, or ingest it, while some take it with other drugs. Many drugs on the black market are now laced with fentanyl.
Side effects of fentanyl may include:
Those addicted to fentanyl find themselves abusing higher and higher amounts of the drug as they build tolerance. This can lead to a number of serious side effects. Respiratory depression is usually the most common way those who overdose on the drug die. Aside from that, fentanyl can cause cardiovascular depression where the heart slows to a crawl.
Fentanyl is the number one driver of the overdose crisis in the US, totaling over 107,000 deaths currently.
Fentanyl is lethal in very small amounts compared to other opioid drugs. A lethal amount can fit on the tip of a pencil.
Fentanyl cannot be absorbed through the skin, except for very specific administration methods at very high doses.