Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid narcotic about 100 times as potent as morphine, continues to be in the news, as deaths from fentanyl overdose continue to rise and even more potent nonpharmaceutical forms become available on the street. It was the drug in Prince’s body and the cause of his death by overdose. The Centers for Disease Control has issued a health advisory to warn of its dangers, as deaths from synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, rose to 5,500 in 2014.
HENRY KOTULA 