Although it may not come as a surprise to readers that fentanyl is a deadly drug, people may be surprised to learn that fentanyl is increasingly “cut” into other drugs—including marijuana. It only takes a very small amount of fentanyl to kill you, which is why it is imperative to know this information and take steps to protect against the deadly drug.

On Monday, Aug. 21, families and loved ones of those lost in this epidemic coordinated a grassroots day of response to create more awareness about the impact fentanyl is having on our nation. Fentanyl is now a leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, with more people dying from this drug than heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram, “Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered.”

That is because fentanyl is everywhere. It is here in the 144th Assembly District, which is why I joined Rep. Nick Langworthy recently at an important roundtable discussion with law enforcement, local officials and other stakeholders here in Western New York.

Fentanyl is often added to other drugs to increase the drug’s potency. It is found in all other street drugs and black-market marijuana. Increasingly, the powder is pressed into pills to look like legitimate prescription opioids; however, these pills often contain lethal doses of fentanyl. Sometimes a liquid form is found in nasal sprays, eye drops or dropped onto paper or small candles. Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just a couple milligrams—the same as a few grains of salt—is deadly to most people.

I voted in support of Matthew’s Law to allow anyone in New York state to obtain fentanyl test strips from a pharmacist to prevent drug overdoses (A.5200), and I am supporting a variety of other bills to establish the crime of homicide by sale of an opiate substance as a class A-1 felony, create a class E felony of criminal possession of fentanyl (A.5592), include exposing a first responder to fentanyl in the definition of assault in the first degree (A4085), allow for someone to be remanded into custody for drug treatment where there is a risk of continued substance abuse with opioids (A.10275) and establish dedicated opioid rehabilitation facilities (A.5855).

Please, take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from fentanyl. Education is the key to fighting this deadly substance, and you can learn more about the dangers at https://facingfentanylnow.org or by following #facingfentanylnow. Also, Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and can be purchased from pharmacies in New York state without a prescription.

As always, I will continue working to deliver meaningful changes for you and our community. Please do not hesitate to contact my office for help. You can call me at (716) 839-4691 or email me at norrism@nyassembly.gov.