Final answer:
Pharmaceutical grade fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Its high potency has led to an increase in overdose deaths as it can be easily mixed with or mistaken for less potent opioids like heroin.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pharmaceutical grade fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, which, compared to morphine, is about 50 to 100 times more potent. This higher potency means that even very small amounts of fentanyl can result in the same pain-relieving effects as a larger dose of morphine, but also that the risk of overdose and death is significantly increased.
Due to its high potency, fentanyl has become a major contributor to the opioid crisis. As prescription opioids became harder to obtain and more expensive on the black market, fentanyl and its analogs, often produced illegally, have become prevalent in the drug supply. This transition has unfortunately led to a sharp increase in overdose deaths, as these substances can be mixed with or sold as heroin.
The dangers of fentanyl have been exacerbated by the difficulty in controlling its distribution and usage, with its often-illicit production in labs run by crime syndicates, and the slow response from legislative bodies to address the growing opioid epidemic.