Fentanyl is a legitimate drug used to treat extreme pain. It has been around since the 1960s, but abuse of the drug is a more recent phenomenon.
Legitimate use of fentanyl is heavily monitored, illicit use of fentanyl is only monitored by its impacts on communities, or by the pills counted in major drug busts.
Stephanie Siete is the public information officer at Community Bridges. With over 20 years observing and working in behavior and addiction services in Arizona, Siete has seen an increase in fentanyl abuse, in overdose deaths, and in the rhetoric about who is to blame.