Mixing meth and fentanyl — a combination often called “speedballing” — is becoming more common across the United States, according to a recent article in Psychology Today. The practice, which involves using an opioid depressant with a psychostimulant, is being described as “the new normal” among fentanyl users.
The report notes that methamphetamine has largely replaced cocaine in these combinations because it can be easily manufactured in labs using precursor chemicals such as pseudoephedrine. Cocaine, by contrast, comes from coca plants grown in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, before being refined and trafficked through Central America and Mexico to reach U.S. buyers.
From January 2021 to June 2024, nearly one-third (31.2%) of all overdose deaths in the U.S. involved methamphetamine, and almost three-quarters (73%) also involved opioids, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also found that nearly 60% of deadly fentanyl overdoses in 2023 involved stimulants. Overdose deaths involving psychostimulants — primarily methamphetamine — have risen more than 34-fold since 2002.
The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that methamphetamine on the market today is significantly purer than in past decades. The average purity level reached 96.7% in 2022, with some states, including California, Oklahoma and North Carolina, testing at 100%. Nevada had the lowest reported purity at 95%.
As Emily’s Hope has previously reported, many people who die from fentanyl overdoses are unaware they’ve taken the drug. Fentanyl is often mixed into methamphetamine, cocaine or counterfeit prescription pills. The DEA launched its “One Pill Can Kill” campaign to warn that even a single fake pill could be deadly.
