# Gray death

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_death
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{{for|a complete list of substances used to lace heroin|Lacing (drugs)#Heroin}}
{{Short description|Slang term for opioid drug mixtures}}
{{Other uses|Gray death (disambiguation)}}
'''Gray death''' is a [slang](/source/slang) term which refers to potent mixtures of [synthetic opioids](/source/synthetic_opioids), for example [benzimidazole opioids](/source/List_of_benzimidazole_opioids) or [fentanyl analogues](/source/List_of_fentanyl_analogues), which were often sold on the street misleadingly as "heroin". However, other substances such as cocaine have also been [laced](/source/Lacing_(drugs)) with opioids that resulted in illness and death.

==History and etymology==
The substance first appeared in America and was thought to be a unique chemical compound before being identified as a mixture of drugs.<ref name=":0" /> The first batch of gray death had a characteristic [gray](/source/Grey) color.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gray Death Drug Addiction in Ohio: What You Need to Know - GTBH Ohio |url=https://www.gbhoh.com/gray-death-drug/ |website=Georgetown Behavioral Hospital |date=15 July 2021}}</ref>

==Composition==
Samples have been found to contain [heroin](/source/heroin), [fentanyl](/source/fentanyl), [carfentanil](/source/carfentanil), and the [designer drug](/source/designer_drug) [U-47700](/source/U-47700).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.McCall.com/news/breaking/mc-gray-death-heroin-bethlehem-20170509-story.html|title=Bethlehem police find first case of deadly drug known as 'gray death'|first=Pamela|last=Lehman}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> 

==Dangers and treatment==
As with other illicit [narcotics](/source/Narcotic), gray death carries a higher risk of serious adverse effects than prescribed opioids due to the unknown and inconsistent composition of the product.<ref name="businessinsider.com"/> Even experienced opioid users risk serious injury or death when taking this drug mixture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drugabuse.com/library/gray-death-heroin-crisis/ |title=Gray Death: The New Killer on the Street  |last=Patterson |first=Eric |access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref> In February 2022, 24 people in Argentina died after using cocaine laced with [carfentanil](/source/carfentanil).<ref>{{cite news |title=Cocaína 'envenenada' que causou mortes na Argentina tinha anestésico para elefantes |url=https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2022/02/10/cocaina-envenenada-que-causou-mortes-na-argentina-tinha-anestesico-para-elefantes.ghtml |work=G1 |language=pt-br}}</ref>

Reversing a gray death [overdose](/source/Drug_overdose) may require multiple doses of [naloxone](/source/naloxone). By contrast, an overdose from morphine or from high-purity heroin would ordinarily need only one dose.<ref name="businessinsider.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/gray-death-opioids-overdoses|title=A dangerous mix of opioids called 'gray death' is causing overdoses in parts of the US|last=Welsh-Huggins |first=Andrew |date=8 May 2017 |access-date=5 April 2019 |via=Business Insider |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> This difficulty is regularly encountered when treating overdoses of high-affinity opioids in the [fentanyl chemical family](/source/List_of_fentanyl_analogues) or with [buprenorphine](/source/buprenorphine). The greater [affinity](/source/Affinity_(pharmacology)) of these substances for the [μ-opioid receptor](/source/%CE%BC-opioid_receptor) impedes the activity of naloxone, which is an antagonist at the receptor. It may be necessary to increase the dosage of naloxone or its frequency of administration in order to counteract [respiratory depression](/source/Hypoventilation).

== See also ==
* [List of opioids](/source/List_of_opioids)
* [List of designer drugs](/source/List_of_designer_drugs)
* [Opioid epidemic in the United States](/source/Opioid_epidemic_in_the_United_States)
* [Mickey Finn (drugs)](/source/Mickey_Finn_(drugs))
* [Whoonga](/source/Whoonga)

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs= 
<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/12/health/grey-death-opioid-drug/index.html|title='Grey death': A powerful new street drug|first=Michael |last=Nedelman |date=13 May 2017 |website=CNN |access-date=5 April 2019}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |title=Fentanyl landscape {{!}} PiHKAL · info |url=https://isomerdesign.com/PiHKAL/tableLandscape.php?domain=pk&property=fentanyl&sort=name |website=isomerdesign.com}}

{{Combined substances}}
{{Drug use}}

Category:Designer drugs
Category:Drug culture
Category:English-language slang
Category:History of South America
Category:Adulteration

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gray death](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_death) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_death?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.