The Rising Dangers: Analyzing Meth vs Fentanyl in the Drug Overdose Epidemic

The drug overdose epidemic continues to surge, with meth vs fentanyl, two potent substances, leading the charge. These drugs, each with unique properties and addictive potentials, are driving the alarming increase in overdose deaths. But what makes meth vs fentanyl so deadly? And how can we confront the rising tide of this epidemic?

Key Takeaways

• Methamphetamine and fentanyl are contributing to a surge in overdose deaths, with meth notably affecting individuals in treatment for heroin dependence and fentanyl laced within various substances, highlighting the drugs’ potency and the risk of polysubstance use.
• Overdoses involving methamphetamine and fentanyl have markedly increased, with methamphetamine-related deaths reaching 33,000 in 2021 and fentanyl implicated in 70% of benzodiazepine-related deaths, underscoring a public health crisis.
• Harm reduction strategies such as fentanyl test strips, naloxone distribution, and supervised consumption sites have been implemented to mitigate negative health outcomes, and public health interventions require a combined effort of policy revisions, education, and treatment programs.

Understanding Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

Illicit drugs, methamphetamine and fentanyl, possess unique properties that enhance their potency, leading to their involvement in drug overdose deaths. Methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant, increases activity in the central nervous system, resulting in increased energy and focus, hyperactivity, and reduced appetite. Fentanyl, on the other hand, is a synthetic opioid, up to 100 times more potent than morphine, leading to intense euphoria but also carrying a high risk of overdose. The prevalence of these substances in the illicit stimulant supply contributes to the growing concern surrounding overdose deaths.

The high potency and rampant misuse of these substances, which are proliferating in the illicit drug market, result in a considerable surge in overdose deaths. The combination of alcohol drugs and these substances, either intentionally or through contamination of the drug supply, has further escalated the overdose risk, forming a lethal cocktail that is contributing to the current drug overdose epidemic and the alarming increase in fatal overdoses.

Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine, a synthetic stimulant, has a profound impact on the human body. It stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, leading to intense euphoria. However, this high comes with a significant toll on health. Long-term methamphetamine use can lead to:

• Severe dental problems
• Skin sores from obsessive scratching
• Dramatic weight loss
• Cardiovascular issues, including irregular heartbeat and heart attack
• Neurological problems such as stroke and seizures

A significant upswing has been noticeable in the trend of methamphetamine use among individuals undergoing treatment for heroin dependence. From 2008 to 2017, the rate of methamphetamine use among these individuals increased from 1 in 50 to 1 in 12. This rise in methamphetamine use has contributed to the increased deaths involving heroin, further fueling the overdose crisis. The heroin methamphetamine co-use is a concerning pattern that demands attention from healthcare professionals and policymakers.

Fentanyl

In contrast to methamphetamine, fentanyl, one of the synthetic opioids known for its extreme potency, is not a stimulant. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, making it highly effective for treating severe pain. However, this potency also makes fentanyl extremely dangerous, significantly increasing the risk of overdose.

Here are some key points about fentanyl:

• It is not a stimulant.
• It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
• It is highly effective for treating severe pain.
• A dose as small as two milligrams can be lethal for most people.

To boost their potency, fentanyl is frequently combined with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. This practice, however, greatly increases the risk of overdose. In fact, fentanyl has been a significant contributor to the overdose deaths since 2013, marking the third wave of the opioid crisis. The presence of fentanyl has also been found in various forms, including liquid in nasal sprays, eye drops, and even in small candies, contributing to the rising dangers of drug overdose.

The Overdose Crisis: Meth and Fentanyl Involvement

The surge in overdose deaths represents a crisis of considerable magnitude. It’s a complex issue fueled by the increased use of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and their lethal combination. The practice of using multiple substances, known as polysubstance use, further complicates the matter, leading to an intricate and perilous drug overdose epidemic.

In 2019, overdose deaths involving stimulants and prescription opioids accounted for a third of US overdose deaths, underscoring the escalating issue of polysubstance use. This includes not only illicit drugs but also prescription drug misuse, as some individuals may combine prescription opioids with stimulants.

The dangerous practice of combining methamphetamine and fentanyl, often without the users’ awareness, significantly increases the likelihood of overdose and fatality.

Methamphetamine-Related Deaths

Owing to the drug’s potency and increased usage, methamphetamine-related deaths have been escalating. In 2021, almost 33,000 Americans succumbed to an overdose linked to psychostimulants with abuse potential, such as methamphetamine, signifying a notable surge in drug-related mortalities. The primary reasons for deaths associated with Methamphetamine usage are primarily attributed to drug overdoses, including those from Methamphetamine alone and in conjunction with other substances, as well as other non-natural causes of death.

The potency of methamphetamine has also escalated over time, with purity and potency levels exceeding 90%, potentially leading to elevated overdose rates and rendering the drug more perilous. The ability of methamphetamine to produce euphoria and stimulant effects is associated with consistent upward trends in overdose mortality, indicating greater risk patterns of use.

Fentanyl-Related Deaths

There has also been a dramatic surge in fentanyl-related deaths. Its potency, being 50 to 100 times greater than other opioids, can lead to respiratory depression and ultimately respiratory arrest, potentially leading to fatal overdose or death. Fentanyl is frequently combined with drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and is also used to create pills that mimic other prescription opioids. This is primarily attributed to its remarkable potency, which can greatly amplify the impact of these substances.

Fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed in recent years. In 2021, fentanyl was implicated in 70% of all deaths related to benzodiazepines. The number of preventable deaths associated with fentanyl reached 67,325 cases, representing a 26% rise from the total of 53,480 in 2020.

Polysubstance Use: Combining Meth and Fentanyl

The risk of overdose and other health complications is heightened by polysubstance use, like the combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The combination of stimulants and opioids can exert substantial physiological strain on the body, rendering individuals more vulnerable to experiencing an overdose. This concurrent use of multiple substances may heighten the likelihood of an opioid overdose as a result of the contradictory effects of these drugs.

Individuals simultaneously use or alternate injections of methamphetamine and fentanyl, with the daily dosing order being influenced by the time of day and social situations. The motivations for combining these substances, such as in heroin methamphetamine co injection, include managing opioid withdrawal and dealing with limited financial resources.

Certain users hold the misconception that methamphetamine can prevent fentanyl overdoses by maintaining a higher heart rate and counteracting fentanyl’s heart rate-depressing effects.

Co-Use Patterns and Motivations

The reasons individuals co-use methamphetamine and opioids are complex and varied. Some use these substances to balance the stimulating effects of methamphetamine with the sedative effects of opioids, while others turn to this combination to manage their opioid dependency. The increasing prevalence of opioid and methamphetamine co-use in the USA and the resultant escalation in overdoses involving these drugs are typical reasons for their concurrent use.

The combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl poses an extreme danger, with a heightened risk of overdose and respiratory depression that can be potentially fatal. Simultaneously using methamphetamine and fentanyl presents substantial risks to mental health and contributes to the escalating rate of drug overdoses.

Harm Reduction Strategies

In response to the escalating trend of polysubstance use and associated overdoses, the implementation of harm reduction strategies has been undertaken. These strategies aim to reduce the negative health, social, and economic impacts associated with drug use without necessarily requiring abstinence. They embrace a spectrum of strategies from safer use, to managed use, to abstinence, to meet drug users “where they’re at,” addressing conditions of use along with the use itself.

These measures include:

• The use of fentanyl test strips to detect the presence of fentanyl in other drugs
• The distribution of naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses
• The provision of drug checking services and supervised consumption sites to help users avoid contaminated drugs and reduce the risk of overdose.