Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Chris Post / AP
Opioid overdose deaths have increased more than six-fold since the 1970s, and an estimated 2.5 million Americans abuse this class of drugs. But the deadliest killer is not heroin. Synthetic opioids, which can kill much faster than heroin, have fueled the epidemic. Here's what they are:
- "Grey death": The newest street drug is a dangerous opioid cocktail that is 5,000 times as potent as heroin (CNN)
- Carfentanil: This elephant tranquilizer is as powerful as "grey death" (National Affairs)
- Fentanyl: The most commonly found synthetic opioid is 50 times as deadly as heroin (National Affairs)
- Furanyl fentanyl: This version of fentanyl is 10 times as potent as heroin (USA Today)
- U-47700: This research chemical, still legally available, is eight times as potent as heroin (NBC)
FiveThirtyEight noted that available data on drug abuse, which would help policymakers and researchers combat the drug epidemic, has dropped drastically, potentially making the problem worse.