Is Fentanyl an opioid? Crisis looms as 6 West Point cadets overdose during spring break in Florida

As per local reports from Friday, March 11, 2022, six football players from the United States Military Academy West Point overdosed on fentanyl-infused cocaine in Florida. The incident, which occurred at the Wilton Manors vacation rental home, left the victims hospitalized, with two of the involved individuals in a critical state.

The paramedic personnel responded to a call on Thursday and found the six cadets after they had overdosed on the drug and were in cardiac arrest. Meanwhile, NBC Miami reported that the two critical cadets remained in intensive care units at the local hospital.

However, at least one individual, who was in better condition than the rest, has been released after receiving treatment.

All six cadets were in their 20s and from New York's West Point. They had come to Florida to celebrate spring break. As per the paramedics' reports, around four of the cadets had consumed Fentanyl, which was laced with the cocaine, prior to overdosing. The other two overdosed on the narcotic while administering CPR to the initial victim.

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Dangers of the Fentanyl opioid

Fentanyl is an artificial opioid that is used to treat patients with chronic pain post-surgery, or certain cancer patients. As per WebMD, it is 50-100 times more potent at treating pain than morphine. However, along with numbness to pain, the drug can induce a high and a sense of euphoria, and is highly addictive after regular use.

It works like any other opioid and blocks the brain's opioid receptors after consumption. However, owing to the extremely high potency of the drug, it takes much less consumption to overdose compared to other opioids.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the drug is 25-50 times more potent than heroin.

Furthermore, the DEA also states that consumption of only two milligrams of the drug can prove fatal for a person. Overdosing on this drug may cause lower heart-rate along with nausea and difficulty breathing. However, most deaths from the drug are caused when the individual becomes hypoventilated, i.e., they suffer from respiratory depression. The condition refers to a gradual decrease in breathing until it stops entirely, causing a person to go into cardiac arrest and eventually die.

While most opioids have similar effects post-overdose, the potency of Fentanyl causes a much more rapid onset of symptoms after consumption. As per the CDC, in recent years, death from opioid overdose has risen to 38.1 percent, of which most are caused by synthetic opioids.