Dr. Stephanie Widmer

You know, it's very well regulated in the hospital setting, but when you're out on the street, there's essentially zero regulation, zero quality control.

So there's certainly a high that comes with it, and it's so, so potent that that's why it's so desirable to many people.

But again, the difference between...

getting high and death is, it's razor thin.

So really the margin for error is incredibly tiny here.

So when we talk about potency, the fentanyl binds to opioid receptors in the brainstem and fentanyl binds very strong, very tightly and very quickly to these opioid receptors.

in the brainstem.

And when enough of those receptors are occupied, that's when breathing and respiratory drive starts to shut down.

So people don't die from

you know, being too high or being too sleepy.

Fentanyl quite literally slows a person's breathing until it stops completely.

Yes, we have some Narcan here.

So if you're concerned that someone has overdosed, you want to check to make sure whether or not they're responsive.

And there are certain things to look for with a fentanyl overdose or any opioid for that matter.

We call it an opioid toxidrome, an opioid toxic syndrome.

So people will come in.

They can look very sleepy.

They can have slurred speech.

Very often you'll hear the term pinpoint pupils.

People's pupils become very constricted, small to the size of like a pin.