(NPR) – he mix of stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamines with fentanyl – a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin – is driving what experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave.” The mixture presents powerful challenges to efforts to reduce overdoses, because many users of stimulants don’t know they are at risk of ingesting opioids and so don’t take overdose precautions.

The only way to know if cocaine or other stimulants contain fentanyl is to use drug-checking tools such as fentanyl test strips – a best practice for harm reduction now embraced by federal health officials for combating drug overdose deaths. (Read More)