Fentanyl is the ultimate drug dealer's dream but the worst possible choice for users, as revealed in a new Kurzgesagt video examining why this deadly opioid has become America's most lethal illegal drug.
Despite being 50 times more potent than heroin, fentanyl delivers an inferior high that fades within minutes rather than hours. But its real danger lies in how easily it can be produced and smuggled — one truckload could supply the entire US for a year. This has led dealers to secretly mix it into other drugs, creating a deadly minefield for unsuspecting users.
"Fentanyl really is garbage heroin," the video explains. "Too dangerous, too intense, too addictive, too little fun." Yet between 2013 and 2023, it killed approximately 400,000 Americans — many who never chose to take it. In 2023 alone, US authorities seized 115 million fentanyl-laced pills, with 70% containing potentially lethal doses.
Most disturbing is how fentanyl has infiltrated the broader drug supply. About half of fentanyl overdoses now come from stimulants like cocaine and meth, catching users completely off guard. The video notes that "a lot of people may have taken these mixes on purpose, but many others just wanted to party and weren't ready for an opioid surprise."
"If you have the choice, don't step into the supernova of pleasure," the video concludes, "because the danger of it turning into a supernova of pain is just too high."
