The Risk of Fentanyl Contamination in Cocaine: What It Means for Your Health
The risks of opioid misuse are nothing new in America, where some form of this drug has been abused for the past century. However, things have changed, and while opium, morphine, and heroin used to be the leading cause of this problem, fentanyl is the big issue today.
Because of its extreme potency and the tendency of drug manufacturers to add this substance to other things because it’s cheap and easy to manufacture, more people than ever are overdosing due to fentanyl in cocaine, and, all too often, they don’t even intend to take it.
Many times, people run into problems when the drug is hidden in another substance, and it can be nearly impossible to know in advance if the illegal drugs they’ve purchased might contain this dangerous drug. The dangers of fentanyl-laced cocaine are only growing, and people who abuse other drugs are at a high risk of encountering fentanyl when they think they’re using something else.
More than ever, there’s a need for comprehensive addiction treatment to quit using drugs and eliminate the risk of accidentally getting a fatal dose of fentanyl in the process. At WhiteSands Treatment’s network of drug rehabs in Florida, our team understands this growing threat to safety and the need to put drugs behind you forever to be safe.
Let’s explore why fentanyl in drugs has become a common problem and what it can do to the user.
How Does Fentanyl End Up in Cocaine?
Before you get to know the fentanyl withdrawal timeline and what to expect, and the unique effects of this potent opioid, you’re likely curious how fentanyl in cocaine even happens. The answer: It’s usually not an accident, but it could be done completely unknown to the eventual user of the drug.
While fentanyl used to be manufactured only by pharmaceutical companies, limiting who could get this potent opioid, just like other pharmaceuticals, the problem today is with cheaply and illicitly manufactured fentanyl that drug dealers now add into other substances like heroin, methamphetamine, other opioids, and cocaine.
Fentanyl is easy to manufacture, and just a tiny amount is a strong dose, so it’s relatively easy to ship and hide. Because of this, drug dealers are often tempted to lace other substances with a little fentanyl to deliver euphoric highs while cutting their own costs of production and distribution.
Accidental contamination is also a possibility, such as packaging up cocaine on the same table where fentanyl was previously handled and split up. Because just a tiny amount can be enough to cause a fatal overdose, even a small contamination can be deadly.
How Common Is Fentanyl Contamination in Cocaine?
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, its own analysis found that 42% of counterfeit pills it tested had at least 2 milligrams of fentanyl, a potentially fatal dose. But the problem isn’t just limited to counterfeit versions of hydrocodone or other prescription opioids, and today, fentanyl in cocaine and other drugs has become all too common.
A 2024 analysis of nearly 12 million samples looked for the presence of fentanyl in nine other substances. About 50% of samples of heroin contained fentanyl, while under 1% of methamphetamine samples had the drug. Among cocaine samples, about 4% contained fentanyl. However, that rate was higher in certain regions, with more than 10% of cocaine and methamphetamine samples in the Northeastern states containing fentanyl.
While the overall percentage of fentanyl contamination was relatively low in cocaine, the problem is that users have almost no way of knowing if the cocaine they’ve purchased might be laced with something else, including dangerous opioids. Once they use the drug, they’re at risk of suffering from a fatal overdose of a drug they never even intended to take.
What Are the Health Risks of Unknowingly Using Fentanyl-Laced Cocaine?
The health risks of fentanyl abuse in any context are well-documented, and the drug is now behind the vast majority of fatal overdoses in the United States. In 2022, an estimated 83,00 died from opioid overdoses in America, and the majority were caused by fentanyl or other similar synthetic substances.
Fentanyl, like other opioids, causes euphoric and pain-relieving effects in users, as well as uncomfortable symptoms like sedation, confusion, nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness. People who overdose on it are at risk of suffering from respiratory failure, coma, and even death as this potent drug poisons their bodies.
Can Drug Testing Kits Detect Fentanyl in Cocaine?
There are ways that professional laboratories can determine if fentanyl is in another substance. In addition, fentanyl test strips are available to detect the presence of this drug in other drugs, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, or other pills, powders, or injectables.
However, these test strips might not work in all cases, meaning they’re a backup option and not a guarantee. They might not be able to identify all fentanyl analogs, for example, and they might not be accurate if there’s a large amount of meth or MDMA in the sample. In addition, these strips can only detect the presence of fentanyl, meaning users still wouldn’t know just how much fentanyl is in the drugs they’re going to take.
Another problem is that just a small portion of a tablet might contain fentanyl, and if that portion isn’t tested, the test strip would never detect the presence of this other drug. That’s why test strips are considered a low-cost harm reduction tool, not a safety net.
Avoid the Risks of Fentanyl in Cocaine with Help from WhiteSands
It’s clear that fentanyl in cocaine and other drugs is here to stay, and statistics from recent years show that the vast majority of fatal overdoses today are at least partially related to fentanyl. The only surefire way of avoiding this risk is not to abuse or use other drugs, and that’s where effective treatment at top Florida drug rehabs like WhiteSands Treatment can help. Our team of addiction specialists knows how to help people address the physical and mental aspects of their addictions as they learn how to get back on track toward the road to recovery.
At our network of addiction treatment facilities in Florida, we offer comprehensive services, including medical detox for fentanyl addiction in Florida and inpatient and outpatient rehab options, to break the chains of addiction once and for all. Illicit fentanyl is cheap and easy to manufacture, and it’s increasingly found in other drugs, meaning every single use could become an unknown exposure to this potent substance.
Don’t wait until it’s too late—get help today and quit using drugs that put you at risk of an overdose. Call us at 877-855-3470 to learn how WhiteSands can help.
External Sources
- Yale Medicine – Why Is Fentanyl Driving Overdose Deaths?
- The Lancet Regional Health – Temporal and Spatial Trends of Fentanyl Co-Occurrence in the Illicit Drug Supply in the United States: A Serial Cross-Sectional Analysis
- United States Drug Enforcement Administration – Facts About Fentanyl
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – What You Can Do to Test for Fentanyl
If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.
About the Author
Jackie has been involved in the substance abuse and addiction treatment sector for over five years and this is something that she is truly eager about. She has a passion for writing and continuously works to create informative pieces that not only educate and inform the public about the disease of addiction but also provide solutions for those who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
