Fentanyl
Fentanyl | Overdose Prevention | CDC
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is very prevalent in the United States and can be ingested alone or added to different substances to increase potency. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl can be injected, smoked, snorted/sniffed, or orally by pill or tablet. Most commonly, Fentanyl is being found in 'fake' pills.
Per the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Toxicology Data, there were 241 Fentanyl-Positive deaths during 2023 compared to 284 Fentanyl-Positive deaths in 2022 across the state of North Carolina. There were 12 Fentanyl Positive Deaths reported in 2024 and 11 Fentanyl Positive Deaths reported for 2023 in Lincoln County.
Lincoln County Fentanyl- Positive Death September 2025 update
OCME-North Carolina Fentanyl- Positive Death September 2025 update.pdf
Fentanyl Test Strips
Lincoln County Health Department offers free Fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl test strips are used to test your drug of choice before ingesting it to prevent an unwanted overdose and provide increased caution if fentanyl is in fact in the substance. Always refer to the directions on the packaging.
Positive results
- If you receive a positive result, it is recommended that you discard the batch. Using it could cause a fatal overdose.
Negative results
- Although your test may test negative for fentanyl it is important to remember that no test is 100% accurate and your substances could still contain fentanyl.
Invalid results
- If you get an invalid result, be sure to test your drugs again using a new fentanyl test strip.
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