In Philly, We Keep Each Other Safe
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is an opioid like heroin, OxyContin, Percocet, Dilaudid, and methadone. These drugs block pain and create a warm calm feeling (a high).
Fentanyl is added to drugs and sold as heroin or dope because it is cheap, strong, and easy to make. It has also been increasingly found in street-bought pills (Xanax, OxyContin, Percocet), cocaine, and crack, sometimes without the buyer’s knowledge.
Fentanyl is 50-100 times stronger than morphine so it can cause an overdose, regardless of how frequently someone uses drugs. An opioid overdose occurs when someone takes more of an opioid than their body can handle, and their breathing slows until it stops.
The rise in fentanyl laced stimulants (like crack, cocaine, and meth) has contributed to the increase in overdoses, especially among minorities. That is why it is important to practice safe habits like using fentanyl test strips and carrying Naloxone.
What is a Fentanyl Test Strip?
Fentanyl test strips can be a useful tool to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs. The strips are used with a small amount of drug residue (what is left in a cooker or baggie) mixed with water. Pills can be broken in half and a small amount can be scraped from the middle to be tested.
The strips show one line for a positive result and two lines for a negative. Unfortunately, the strips cannot tell us everything! A positive result does not show how much fentanyl is in the drugs and a negative does not mean that it is what you purchased–it could contain types of fentanyl that are not detected by the test strips as powerful drugs like xylazine. Additionally, the test strips themselves aren’t always right. For example, methamphetamine and MDMA sometimes show the wrong result depending on the amount of water in the mixture.
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Signs of an opioid overdose are slow or stopped breathing, blue or purple fingernail beds and lips, and a gurgling snore. There are a few ways to check if someone is having an overdose, but the most basic trick is to shout the person’s name and rub their chest (sternum) with your knuckles. If the individual is unable to respond, they may be having an opioid overdose. Watch the videos below to learn how to administer naloxone and provide rescue breathing while you wait for help to arrive.
Naloxone comes in two forms, nasal spray or intramuscular injection, and both formulations work the same way in the body. The medication temporarily blocks the effect of opioids and helps a person to start breathing again. This means if naloxone is administered to someone who isn’t having an opioid overdose, it won’t hurt them. Naloxone is safe to use and keep in your home, even if you live with children and pets. Learn more about where to get naloxone below.
Resources
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How to use fentanyl test strips
Fentanyl test strips make it easy to check if Fentanyl is in your drugs. You can use them to test your: pills (oxy, percs, xanax), cocaine, crack, and PCP.
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Where to get fentanyl test strips and naloxone
There are a few ways to get fentanyl test strips and naloxone in Philadelphia including through our division, Prevention Point Philadelphia, a community organization, or by mail.
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How to use naloxone
Naloxone is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. There is no danger if you administer naloxone to someone who is not experiencing an opioid overdose.
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Register for trainings
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the training and you will have the option to receive test strips and naloxone mailed to you.
Share your story
Have you ever used fentanyl test strips or naloxone? Maybe you use them yourself or share them with your friends. We’d love to hear how they’ve helped you and your community!