KANSAS CITY, Mo — Most people have heard of fentanyl or the line “One Pill Can Kill” by now, but what really is fentanyl and why was it created in the first place?
According to impacted families, health care workers and community advocates, one of the biggest challenges in fighting fentanyl is lack of public knowledge.
KSHB 41 News sat down with Dr. Adam Algren, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at University Health & UMKC, to find out more about the drug and how it affects the body.
“Fentanyl is a pain medication that was designed to treat pain,” said Algren.
Fentanyl binds to different receptors in the brain that controls pain. When used in highly-regulated medical settings, it can be extremely beneficial for patients.
So, where is the line between helpful and deadly?
“So the biggest difference is probably just that when fentanyl is manufactured for people to buy on the street, there’s no quality control there. So, you really don’t know how much fentanyl you’re getting,” said Algren.
Not only does fentanyl numb physical pain, but it can have an emotional numbing effect that lead to feelings of euphoria.
It is highly addictive — 50 times more potent than heroine and 100 times more potent than morphine.
“I would say that we’re seeing multiple cases daily in our emergency department,” said Algren.
First Call, a local drug recovery center, says some of the biggest challenges in fighting fentanyl are lack of public knowledge, widespread misconceptions and getting everyone to care.
In 2022, the First Call crisis line received 1,743 calls. In the first three quarters of 2023, they received 2,373 calls.
“I have some schools that don’t want to touch it, so I think that has been kind of challenging, I think, to navigate,” said Community Prevention Specialist Shelby Krech.
First Call recently received a federal harm reduction grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It will help expand training and presentations in the community.
“We talk about signs of an overdose, how to respond to it, how to administer naloxone,” said Krech.
Algren said someone who is overdosing may seem sleepy, or in extreme cases become unresponsive, have difficulty breathing or their pupils may shrink in size.
As of this year, Narcan can be bought over the counter at pharmacies, so he advises everyone keep one on hand.
“Anytime naloxone is administered, I would call 911,” said Krech.
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