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AUGUST 15, 2022
If you or a family member needs fentanyl strips, please contact
the Grand Ronde Behavioral Health program at 503-879-2026.
Coming to Indian Country: 988 and the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The Truth About Fentanyl
Why do we need 988?
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Native youth ages 10-24.
Native communities experience the highest rates of suicide amongst all racial
and ethnic groups in the Unites States, and suicide rates among American
Indian and Alaska Native communities rose by 118% between 1999 and 2017.
This handout contains information everyone should know about fentanyl.
The facts
Naloxone
— Fentanyl is a powerful opioid, 50—100 times more
potent than heroin
Naloxone (Narcan or Kloxxado) can reverse a
fentanyl overdose. Fentanyl is a strong opioid, so
you may need multiple (3, 4, or more) doses of
naloxone. The biggest risk in giving someone too
much naloxone is a more intense withdrawal.
— Fentanyl gets added into many drugs, including
“normal looking” pills
Suicide is preventable. 988 is one step in the direction of saving lives. This
early intervention can reduce the burden on 911 and hospital services. 988
will move mental health and substance use services out of the shadows and
into the mainstream; it will send a message that healing and getting help are
normal and important parts of life.
What is 988?
— A pill containing fentanyl can look exactly like a
pill without fentanyl
988 is a direct three-digit line to trained National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
crisis counselors that will go live July 16, 2022. With an easy to remember 3-
digit number, the Lifeline hopes to reach many more people in emotional
crisis. This service is provided free of charge to the caller. Any person of any
age can call or text 988; services will be available 24/7, year round. They will
include a text option, translation services for non-English speakers, accessible
options for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and services for minors.
— Two pills with different amounts of fentanyl can
look exactly the same
— Many people don’t realize they are taking fentanyl
— Fentanyl is causing a dramatic increase in
overdoses
— Anyone who uses drugs can overdose, even if it’s
their first time or if they have been using for a
long time
When you’ve got a police, fire, or rescue emergency, you call 911.
When you have a mental health emergency, you call/text 988.
How will this affect my community?
The impact of 988 will vary from community to community. If your
community has reliable phone and 911 services, it will now have access to
988 24/7. Community members will be able to receive confidential services
during mental health emergencies with minimal involvement of police or
hospitals. If you live in an area where connecting to 911 services is difficult,
you may experience the same with 988. Please know that chatting via the
suicidepreventionlifeline.org website, texting NATIVE to the Crisis Text Line
at 741741, or texting 988 when available may be the best ways to connect in
these communities.
Help people who are overdosing
If you have gloves and a mask, wear them for extra safety. You’ve
got to breathe in a VERY LARGE amount of fentanyl over a REALLY
LONG time to even begin to feel its effects – like dust-storm levels
in a closed room for over 3 hours.
If you get fentanyl powder on you
Dry fentanyl powder is not absorbed by skin. Your skin will only
absorb fentanyl powder if it’s mixed with a liquid.
While dry, brush off as much as you can
Don’t touch your mouth or eyes where fentanyl can be
easily absorbed
Flush with water (to dilute the fentanyl)
Wash your clothes
What can I do?
y Share the facts without judgment
y Learn how to use naloxone and always keep it with you
y Help people who are overdosing
y Encourage the people in your life who use drugs not to use
alone, always have naloxone, and accept treatment when
they are ready
y Make sure your tribe/clinic offers fentanyl testing strips
Fentanyl test strips
Test strips can’t detect all versions of fentanyl. But they
can reveal the most common versions in a drug. This can
save lives.
Healing medications
Medications that treat opioid use disorder—like “bupe”
e”
(buprenorphine) and methadone—work for people who
take fentanyl. Ask a substance use treatment provider r
for more information.
There is hope
We can heal our communities by educating ourselves, supporting each other, and
accepting help when we need it.
Text “OPIOIDS” to
94449 to receive videos,
quizzes, facts, and more
to grow your knowledge
about opioids.
Visit the Northwest Portland Area
Indian Health Board’s website at
www.npaihb.org/opioid to learn
more about treatments, reversing an
overdose, and other important topics.
This document was developed [in part] under grant number TI083243 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies, and opinions expressed
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