Fentanyl-Linked Deaths: The U.S. Opioid Epidemic’s Third Wave Begins

Authorities intercepted a woman using this drug kit in preparation for shooting up a mix of heroin and fentanyl inside a Walmart bathroom last month in Manchester, N.H. Fentanyl offers a particularly potent high but also can shut down breathing in under a minute.

Overdose deaths involving fentanyl are rising — up 113 percent on average each year from 2013 to 2016. Dealers are adding cheap fentanyl to the illicit drug supply, and some users get it accidentally.

(Image credit: Salwan Georges/Washington Post/Getty Images)

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Martha Bebinger