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Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. It is short acting and cannot be seen, tasted or smelled when mixed into other drugs.

While pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed for severe pain and end of life care, non-pharmaceutical fentanyl is produced illicitly and is now common in the illicit drug supply. The presence of non-pharmaceutical fentanyl in New York City has dramatically increased the number of overdose deaths, and fentanyl is now the most common drug involved in overdose deaths. In 2020, 1,580 New Yorkers died from a fentanyl-involved overdose.

Avoid an Overdose

Fentanyl use can increase your risk of overdose, especially if you do not regularly use opioids. Anyone who uses drugs that may contain fentanyl, even occasionally, may be at risk of overdose.

Fentanyl has been found in many different drugs, including heroin, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine and ketamine. It can also be found in pills from nonmedical sources, pressed into counterfeit pills to look like prescription painkillers or benzodiazepines, such as Xanax® Klonopin®, and Valium®.

Reduce your risk of overdose:

• Test your drugs using fentanyl test strips.
• If positive, consider not using. If you do plan to use, start with a small dose and go slowly.
• Avoid using alone and take turns.
• Avoid mixing drugs.
• Keep naloxone ready and on hand.

If you would like to talk to someone about substance use services or treatment, contact NYC Well.

Fentanyl Test Strips

Fentanyl test strips are an easy-to-use tool that can detect fentanyl in a variety of drugs. Learn how to use them with these instructions:

• Fentanyl Test Strip Instructional Brochure (PDF)
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• Fentanyl Test Strip Instructional Poster (PDF)
  Other Languages: Español | 繁體中文 | 简体中文 | Русский | Kreyòl ayisyen | 한국어 | বাংলা | Italiano | Polski | Français | ײִדיש | العربية | اردو

If you need fentanyl test strips for personal use, you can find a list of community organizations that provide them at no cost below. You can also find test strips at some of the Opioid Overdose Prevention Programs on this list.

Fentanyl Test Strip Trainings

The Health Department offers virtual trainings to individuals and organizations on the use of fentanyl test strips as a harm reduction tool as well as strategies for community engagement. If you are interested in learning about fentanyl and fentanyl test strips, or your organization is distributing fentanyl test strips in the community, register for an upcoming training below. Please note the Health Department does not supply fentanyl test strips to training attendees.

Upcoming training dates and registration links:

• Wednesday, May 24, 10 a.m. to noon
• Monday, June 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Monday, June 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Thursday, July 6, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Monday, July 31, noon to 2 p.m.
• Monday, August 14, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Monday, August 28, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fentanyl Test Strip Locations