A UCLA-led study estimates that people who regularly use illicit fentanyl in Los Angeles take in daily amounts equal to nearly 9,000 milligrams of morphine, a level of opioid exposure far beyond what standard treatment protocols were built to manage.
The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence and reported by The New York Times.
It was led by Drug Checking Los Angeles, a research and public health program founded by Chelsea Shover, an associate professor-in-residence at UCLA and the study’s senior author.
The lead author, Morgan Godvin, drew on her own experience with opioid use disorder in shaping the questions behind the work.
What the Study Measured
The team used a standardized yardstick called morphine milligram equivalents, or MME, which lets researchers compare opioids of very different strengths.
They combined purity results from more than 500 fentanyl samples tested between September 2023 and January 2026 with surveys of 47 people who regularly use fentanyl. The estimated average intake came to about 8,887 MME per day.
For context, the study notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers just 2 milligrams of fentanyl potentially lethal for someone with no opioid tolerance.
Shover’s team estimated that a typical fentanyl consumer in Los Angeles takes in roughly 60 times that amount daily. One gram of average-purity fentanyl the team tested carried a dose comparable to more than 1,200 hospital vials or about 440 Percocet pills.
Why This Matters for Addiction Treatment
Extremely high tolerance is not just a number. Tolerance builds to the respiratory depression that causes fatal overdose, and it also complicates the first days of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine or methadone.
These medications sharply reduce overdose deaths, but many people have reported that severe fentanyl withdrawal makes starting and staying on them harder than it was with heroin.
The authors frame their findings as a call to take withdrawal management seriously, including adjuvant therapies and compassionate, individualized approaches during induction onto MOUD.
For someone researching rehab, the practical takeaway is to look for programs experienced with fentanyl specifically, not just opioids in general.
What This Means for Treatment Seekers
If you are comparing rehab centers, ask directly how a program handles fentanyl withdrawal and MOUD induction, since protocols designed for prescription opioids or heroin may not fit.
Facilities that offer medically supervised withdrawal management and buprenorphine or methadone are worth prioritizing, and telehealth options for buprenorphine have expanded access in many areas. Insurance coverage for addiction treatment often includes MOUD, so verifying benefits early can prevent delays.
Finding the Right Rehab
Next steps that fit this research include comparing rehab centers that treat opioid use disorder, understanding insurance coverage for addiction treatment and MOUD, and confirming that a facility offers medically supervised withdrawal management.
The study’s authors stress that lived experience should inform care, so programs that pair evidence-based medication with respectful, individualized support are a strong match.
Rehab.com’s directory includes verified rehab centers where you can compare programs, levels of care, and MOUD availability, and speak with a treatment advisor about opioid use disorder options. Call
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