Rapid Response to Fentanyl Overdose is Critical on Drugfree.org

Dr. Alex Walley discusses the dangerous differences between Fentanyl and heroin overdoses in the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids article Rapid Response to Fentanyl Overdose is Critical

“Fentanyl is faster acting and more potent than heroin, so overdoses evolve in seconds to minutes, instead of minutes to hours, as we see with heroin overdoses,” describes Dr. Walley.

Dr. Walley’s research, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compares the onset of overdose symptoms for among those who have survived or witnessed a heroin and fentanyl overdose. “He found 75 percent of people who witnessed a suspected fentanyl overdose described symptoms as occurring within seconds to minutes. Among people who witnessed the opioid overdose antidote naloxone being administered, 83 percent said that two or more naloxone doses were used before the person responded.”