The Fentanyl Crisis in California - Deaths, Stats, and Analysis
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid chemically similar to morphine but up to 100 times more powerful. Opioids are a class of drugs derived from the opium poppy plant. Synthetic opioids are designed in pharmaceutical laboratories to closely mimic the natural substances of the same plant. Initially approved for legal use, fentanyl is a prescription drug used to treat patients with severe or chronic pain. Unfortunately, it is also the most common substance involved in drug overdose deaths.
