Fentanyl Remains a Leading Cause of Death but There is Hope

Help is Available through Westmoreland County Drug and Alcohol Commission

By Nancy Kennedy

In the United States, the number one cause of death for young adults aged 18 to 45 is drug overdose, surpassing suicide, vehicle accidents, and gun violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The drug in the center of this tragic epidemic is Fentanyl, a highly addictive, synthetic opioid prescription medication that was initially developed as an analgesic (painkiller) for surgeons to use during and after surgery to treat or prevent extreme pain. Fentanyl is a very effective analgesic and it can create feelings of euphoria; in fact, Fentanyl is so potent that it is said to be 100 times more potent than morphine. These qualities mean that the drug’s potential for addiction, abuse and overdose are very high: Fentanyl has become the drug at the center of the illicit drug market and the tragic, soaring number of opioid overdose deaths across the U.S. and in Westmoreland County.

In the period from May 2020 to May 2021, over 100,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, and in 64% of those deaths, the cause of death was Fentanyl or a Fentanyl analog, typically manufactured in Mexico. Making matters worse, Covid-19 has worsened the incidence of substance abuse disorder, including opioid misuse, as people experience the isolation, anxiety and despair brought by the pandemic.

Breane Minardi, MSW, Director of Clinical and Case Management Services for Westmoreland County Drug and Alcohol Commission (WEDAC), states that Fentanyl overdose deaths increased 26% from 2020 to the present in Westmoreland County. In 2021, there was a total of 168 overdose deaths in the County, and Fentanyl was responsible for 137 of them. Males have a higher rate of overdose, with the greatest number of deaths occurring in the 31-40 age group; for women, the highest rate of overdose is in the 51-60 age group.

Much of the misuse of Fentanyl is unintentional. People may purchase drugs on the street, or in questionable non-medical settings, unaware that the drugs they buy contain Fentanyl in an amount that can be deadly. Fentanyl may be mixed into, or “laced” into, counterfeit narcotic pills that resemble common pain medications or into marijuana. Even the tiniest amount of Fentanyl can be deadly, so this “lacing” has been a major factor in the rising number of overdose deaths. “Any use of street drugs includes a risk of death,” Minardi says.

Director Minardi wants the community to know that despite widespread substance abuse and the alarming number of opioid overdose deaths, there is help available through her agency and a comprehensive network of services. WEDAC is a resource for individuals, families, professionals and organizations; it funds and contracts treatment programs and case management services at the local level, using state and federal funds. The agency offers in-house community prevention programs and an innovative Narcan Mail-In Request program. “We are here to help anyone who is struggling with addiction,” Minardi says. “If you are uninsured, or underinsured, we can provide access to addiction treatment. We break all the barriers. We provide Narcan to anyone who needs it.”

Every home should have Narcan, Minardi believes. “An opioid overdose can happen in any home. An older adult on pain medication may accidentally take a double dose of her pain medication. An unattended child may get into the medication. A teenager visiting for a holiday could go into the bathroom and overdose. Narcan is free, easy to use and lifesaving. If you have Narcan and know how to use it, you can prevent an overdose death.”

The Mail-In Narcan program provides kits to anyone who wants one. It can be reached by visiting wedacinc.org or calling 724-243-2220 extension 4450.The web site includes an instructional video.