<i>Notes from the Field</i>: Overdose Deaths Involving <i>Para</i>-fluorofentanyl — United States, July 2020–June 2021
Jessica Bitting, Julie O’Donnell, Christine L. Mattson
Abstract
Provisional estimates indicate that synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF), were involved in approximately two thirds of an estimated 108,174 overdose deaths in the United States during the 12 months ending in April 2022.* Previous analyses have identified para-fluorofentanyl, a schedule I illicit fentanyl analog, in drug overdose deaths in eight states from late 2020 through June 2021 (1-3). Limited data suggest that para-fluorofentanyl is likely similar to or slightly less potent than IMF (3,4); however, its role in the illicit drug market and its impact on the opioid overdose crisis has not been widely studied. To better understand monthly trends in drug overdose deaths involving para-fluorofentanyl in the United States, CDC analyzed overdose death data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS).