Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Therefore, overdoses happen faster and are harder to stop. It comes in pills, pure powders, and powder mixed with other drugs. It cannot be seen, tasted or smelled when mixed into other drugs. The presence of fentanyl has led to epidemic levels of overdoses.

Denver experienced 209 drug-related deaths in 2018. The majority of drug-overdose deaths in Denver involve multiple substances: 64% of drug- related deaths involved three or more drugs in the deceased’s system and 28% involved five or more drugs.

Learn more about fentanyl in Colorado at: https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/public-health-and-environment/documents/cbh/substance-misuse/ddphe_fentanylinfographic.pdf