What Is ‘Fentanyl Fold’? – Have You Spotted This In Mass.?

When you see it, you'll know it - and it can be very disturbing.

The "fentanyl fold" is a term used to describe how some people using fentanyl, a very strong drug, look bent over or hunched while walking or standing.

The “fenty fold” (also “fenty lean” or “fentanyl fold”) is a startling but common occurrence among regular users of fentanyl, and other illicit drugs like xylazine, where they are bent at the waist, slumped forward, in a rigid position. Their heads are bowed, their knees are bent, and they are often unable to respond or move. -addictioncenter.com

Fentanyl is an opioid, a type of drug that can make you feel relaxed but also sleepy or out of it. When someone takes a lot of fentanyl, it slows their body down a lot, making their muscles relax and their head droop, so they look like they’re folding over. This happens because fentanyl affects the brain and nervous system, causing extreme tiredness or sedation.

Where are you most likely to witness this?

In Massachusetts, you might see this in cities like Boston, Worcester, or Springfield, especially in areas where drug use is more common, like Boston’s Mass and Cass area. These places have lots of people struggling with addiction, and fentanyl is easy to find there.

Some people have even referred to addicts in this state of intoxication, "zombies".

Other drugs, like heroin or strong painkillers, can also make people look bent over, but fentanyl is much stronger - 50 to 100 times more than morphine - so it causes this effect more often. Some drugs mixed with fentanyl, like xylazine (an animal tranquilizer), can make this worse.

How often is fentanyl found in toxicology reports when a death by overdose occurs?

In Massachusetts, about 93% of opioid-related deaths in 2022 involved fentanyl, which means it’s a big part of the problem. That year, there were 2,357 opioid deaths. Good news: deaths dropped to 2,125 in 2023, a 10% decrease.

Fentanyl use is still high, but efforts like giving out naloxone (a drug that reverses overdoses) and fentanyl test strips are helping. Even so, fentanyl remains a huge challenge in Massachusetts because it’s so strong and often mixed with other drugs.