fentanyl explainer


from the Guardian article the tweet links to:

Fentanyl is a powerful pain-relieving drug, 50 times more potent than morphine, and was originally synthesised by Belgian chemist Paul Jannsen. The drug has medical applications, for example, in anaesthesia and relieving pain from major surgery or cancer.

The drug interacts with the same opioid receptors as morphine and heroin and is therefore called an opioid, even though it is chemically unrelated to opiates (drugs derived from opium poppies). Opioid receptors are part of the body’s reward pathway. Chemicals are released in our body to make us feel good as a reward for activities that help us survive and procreate, such as eating, drinking and sex. Increasing the presence of feelgood chemicals in our body is why opiates and opioids can be so powerfully addictive.

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