What is fentanyl? A look at the drug at the center of a recent major narcotics bust

When 41 people tied to a Central Florida drug trafficking ring were arrested this past week in a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement bust, it stopped an operation responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl per month in Volusia and Lake counties, according to law enforcement officials.

Nearly a dozen agencies, including the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, worked together on the five-month investigation dubbed "Operation Daly Dose," named after one of the alleged ringleaders, Drew Daly of DeLand.

“While arrests have been made throughout the investigation, about-two dozen defendants were taken into custody during a sweep Thursday that included nine search warrants executed across the DeLand and Orange City areas,” according to the sheriff's office.

The multiple charges levied include armed trafficking in fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA among several other crimes.

In case you missed it: Sheriff's office announces 41 arrests in Volusia and Lake counties in drug trafficking bust

Although fentanyl is at the heart of many drug trafficking rings, not everyone knows that much about the synthetic opioid that has important medical uses but also is commonly abused.

Here’s what you need to know, based on information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse:

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.

It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.

Like morphine, it is a medicine that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain, especially after surgery.

It’s also sometimes used to treat patients with chronic pain who are physically tolerant to other opioids. Tolerance occurs when a higher or more frequent amount of a drug is needed to get desired effects.

Fentanyl is also made and used illegally.

Synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, are now the most common drugs involved in drug overdose deaths in the United States.

How do people use fentanyl?

When prescribed by a doctor, fentanyl can be given as a shot, a patch that is put on a person’s skin or as lozenges that are sucked like cough drops.

The illegally used fentanyl most often associated with recent overdoses is made in labs. This synthetic fentanyl is sold illegally as a powder, dropped onto blotter paper, put in eye droppers and nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like other prescription opioids.

Some drug dealers mix fentanyl with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA. This is because it takes very little to produce a high with fentanyl, making it a cheaper option.

This is especially risky when people taking drugs don’t realize they might contain fentanyl as a cheap but dangerous additive. They might be taking stronger opioids than their bodies are used to and could be more likely to overdose.

How does fentanyl affect the brain?

Like heroin, morphine, and other opioid drugs, fentanyl works by binding to the body's opioid receptors, which are found in areas of the brain that control pain and emotions.

After taking opioids many times, the brain adapts to the drug, diminishing its sensitivity, making it hard to feel pleasure from anything besides the drug. When people become addicted, seeking out the drug and drug use can take over their lives.

Fentanyl's effects include:

• extreme happiness

• drowsiness

• nausea

• confusion

• constipation

• sedation

• problems breathing

• unconsciousness

What are common street names for illegally produced fentanyl?

On the street, fentanyl goes by such street names as Apace, China Girl, China Town, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfellas, Great Bear, He-Man, Jackpot, King Ivory, Murder 8, Poison and Tango & Cash.

What are the overdose effects of fentanyl?

Overdose may result in stupor, changes in pupillary size, cold and clammy skin, cyanosis, coma, and respiratory failure leading to death. The presence of a triad of symptoms such as coma, pinpoint pupils, and respiratory depression are strongly suggestive of opioid poisoning.

How can a fentanyl overdose be treated?

Because drug dealers often mix the cheaper fentanyl with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, MDMA and methamphetamine, it can be difficult to know which drug is causing an overdose.

Naloxone is a medicine that can treat a fentanyl overdose when given right away. It works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors and blocking the effects of opioid drugs. But fentanyl is stronger than other opioid drugs like morphine and might require multiple doses of naloxone.

Naloxone is available as an injectable (needle) solution and nasal sprays under the brand names Narcan and Kloxxado.

If you suspect someone has overdosed, it’s crucial to call 911 so they can receive immediate medical attention, including potential use of naloxone if opioid use is involved.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: What you need to know about fentanyl