Fentanyl is a strong and potent synthetic opioid. It is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.A. There are two types of fentanyl, pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Both are considered synthetic opioids. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is given by doctors to treat severe chronic pain, especially after surgery and for later stages of cancer. However, most recent cases of fentanyl related overdose are linked to illegally made fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of it's extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous to anyone who consumes it. Powdered fentanyl looks like many other drugs. It is commonly mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into pressed pills that are made to look like other prescription opioids. Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths today. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The lethal amount of fentanyl can be the size of your finger nail or sliver of a penny. It takes about 8 seconds for fentanyl to go through your entire body, stop your heart, and further kill you instantly. When a person who has overdosed due to fentanyl in the early stages, Narcan (Naloxone) can be administered through the nasal canal. Fentanyl is becoming a epidemic and awareness needs to be spread to stop or even just slow down this raging epidemic of the streets.