Opioid primer

What it is and how it works

Opioids are potent painkillers that have morphinelike effects. They can be found in nature (opium poppies) and are produced in your brain (endorphins). Opioids can also be created in pharmaceutical labs and illegally in clandestine labs.

How do they work?

Opioids affect the body by binding receptors found in your brain and other organs. The receptors are proteins in cells that interact with the drug.

What do they do?

When opioid receptors are activated you can feel pain relief, euphoria and sedation. The drug also suppresses coughs and can cause nausea, vomiting, constipa- tion and sweating. Your pupils get smaller. Opioids can create physical dependence and tolerance. The drugs can also cause respiratory depression. If your breathing slows down too much you can overdose and die.

How does naloxone work?

It’s essentially a temporary opioid-receptor blocker. “It’s going to get into the brain, latch onto the opioid receptors but not activate them,” says Michael Beazley, a pharmacologist and professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy. “It will compete and kick off the drug and reverse the overdose.”

Naloxone’s reversing effects only last 30 minutes and an ambulance should be called when administered. Each kit comes with two nasal pumps in case a second dose is needed because stronger strains of opioids, like fentanyl, may need more than one dose.

That’s because fentanyl is 80 times more powerful than morphine, Beazley said. Assume you can overdose on 200 milligrams of morphine, he explained. Then that means one kilogram of morphine can cause 5,000 overdoses. If you compare it to fentanyl, one kilogram of that stuff can cause 400,000 overdoses. An effective dose of prescription fentanyl is 0.1 milligram. A lethal dose is 2 milligrams. Examples of other opioid drugs include hydromorphone, codeine, oxycodone and methadone.

Bootleg fentanyl

Bootleg fentanyl is believed to come from China and is sold in pill or powder form. Because it’s produced in uncontrolled environments, the strength of illicit fentanyl can vary greatly.