A synthetic opioid, fentanyl is as addictive as it is deadly. It is 50 times stronger than heroin, cheap to produce – and destroying families. Six years ago, Oklahoma suffered 50 fentanyl-related deaths. By 2022, that number had skyrocketed to 619, accounting for the vast majority of fatal opioid overdoes in the state. While final figures for this past year are not yet known, we do know there were 317 fentanyl deaths in the first five months of 2023 alone. Moreover, fentanyl is an equal-opportunity killer, impacting communities of every kind.
