Popular social media posts generate conversation about fentanyl

A recent Instagram post and a Reddit thread have sparked online conversation about fentanyl. On July 3, the CDC shared an image on Instagram showing the difference between a positive and negative result on a fentanyl test strip. The post received 3,269 likes as of July 11. In the comments, some social media users claimed that fentanyl test strips encourage drug use and that promoting abstinence from drugs would be a better use of resources. Others asked where they could get fentanyl test strips. On July 7, a Reddit user asked how fentanyl affects the body and why people use it. The post received 1,900 upvotes and 411 comments as of July 11. Reddit users who commented on the post explained that fentanyl is a strong opioid that slows down and sometimes stops respiration.

Recommendation: Trending conversations about fentanyl provide an opportunity for health departments, community-based organizations, and other partners to recirculate educational materials about fentanyl and educate target populations about harm reduction tools that prevent fentanyl deaths. Messaging may emphasize that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, and it’s the main driver of overdose deaths in the U.S. Fentanyl is often unknowingly mixed with other drugs, and fentanyl test strips can help people determine whether or not their drugs contain fentanyl. These test stips are available for purchase online and may be available for free through local harm reduction programs. However, the public may be unaware that fentanyl test strips are considered “drug paraphernalia” in some states and are not legal everywhere. Emphasizing that staying up to date on drug checking equipment laws in each state is recommended. Trending conversations about fentanyl also provide an opportunity to push out messaging that outlines the signs of an opioid overdose and explains when and how to use naloxone to prevent overdose deaths.