The drug overdose epidemic continues to worsen in the United States. According to the CDC, the number of drug overdose deaths increased from 91,799 in 2020 to 106,699 in 2021. Overdose deaths involving opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin, and synthetic opioids (like Fentanyl), have increased by more than eight times since 1999.
What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically prescribed to patients to treat chronic pain. It is highly addictive and can be fatal in small amounts. It is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent. Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl (IMF), primarily manufactured in foreign clandestine labs, is being smuggled into the United States and sold on the illegal drug market. Prescription fentanyl or IMF, is being mixed with other illicit drugs to increase the potency of the drugs. Both are also being pressed into pills that look like legitimate prescription opioids. There is no oversight or quality control; therefore, these illicit drugs and countergeit pills contain different, often lethal, amounts of fentanyl.
Unfotunately, Irving has also seen an increase in the number of cases/arrests involving Fentanyl. In 2021, there were 41 documented incidents involving Fentanyl. In 2022, that number increased to 58. There has also been an increase in number of overdoses, many of which are fentanyl-related.
Data provided by the Irving Police Department
| All Overdoses | Fentanyl Overdoses | School Aged Fentanyl Overdoses | Fatal Fentanyl Overdoses | All Fatal Overdoses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 65 | 24 | 2 | 17 | 37 |
| 2022 | 74 | 26 | 6 | 10 | 26 |
| 2023 YTD | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
