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Regular Users Can Tolerate Previously ‘Unsurvivable’ Amounts of Fentanyl
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- Researchers in Los Angeles found that habitual fentanyl users have developed such high tolerance that standard withdrawal and recovery medications are often ineffective.
- The study, analyzing over 500 fentanyl samples and surveying users, revealed daily consumption averaging 125 milligrams of pure fentanyl, equivalent to 1,250 hospital doses of 100 micrograms each.
- This extreme tolerance highlights the dangerous potency of fentanyl, which is at least 50 times stronger than heroin, and the volatility of the city’s street drug supply.
- Experts warn that traditional treatment doses of buprenorphine and methadone, designed for heroin and prescription opioid addiction, are outdated for fentanyl users, prompting calls for revised clinical guidelines.
- Public health advice emphasizes awareness of fentanyl’s risks, the importance of using licensed pharmacies, education on overdose signs, and access to naloxone to prevent fatal overdoses.
