Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is made in a lab from precursor chemicals instead of from poppies. It is 50 times more potent than heroin and times more potent than morphine. According to the DEA, 2 milligrams of fentanyl is generally considered a lethal dose for most people.
This is equivalent to a few grains of salt. Fentanyl was developed as a powerful pain relief drug for people with end-of-life cancers. In a medical setting, it can be administered via injection, patch, or lozenge.
Fentanyl is much cheaper to make than other opioids. It is also easier to smuggle because small amounts are very powerful. It is a lot easier to smuggle in a baggie of Fentanyl powder than kilogram bricks of other drugs for the same profit margin.
Because Fentanyl is cheap and so highly addictive, it creates a much greater profit margin. The occasional loss of one or two users are not detrimental to their bottom line because they know that another addict can be easily created. People can also develop a tolerance for Opioids like Fentanyl requiring them to use more and more to get high.
This causes drug dealers and cartels to make stronger pills with more Fentanyl. However, these stronger pills may kill newer users who have not developed such a tolerance. In addition, some dealers intentionally add deadly amounts to some pills because the death of a user is like an advertisement that that dealer has really strong drugs. Finally, these drugs are being mixed and cooked in open air "labs" in rural parts of China and Mexico. These labs are not being run by individuals with an interest in quality control and scientific measures.
