Here's a comprehensive summary of the article about Fentanyl:
Fentanyl, first synthesized by Paul Janssen in 1959 and approved for medical use in the U.S. by 1968, is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, significantly stronger than heroin (30-50 times) and morphine (100 times). Clinically, it's a vital analgesic for severe pain, especially in cancer patients and post-surgery, but its rapid action and small effective dose mean even a tiny quantity can cause fatal overdose, primarily through severe respiratory depression, though these effects can be reversed by naloxone.
Despite its legitimate medical applications, fentanyl has tragically become the primary driver of the synthetic opioid overdose epidemic in the United States. Overdose deaths dramatically escalated from around 2,600 in 2011 to over 70,000 by 2021, surpassing heroin as the leading cause of drug overdose fatalities since 2018. The danger is further amplified by its illicit use, where it's often clandestinely mixed with other drugs like cocaine or heroin, or disguised as counterfeit prescription pills. Its ease of manufacture and high potency contribute to its widespread illicit distribution, making accidental overdoses increasingly difficult to treat and escalating the death toll.