Mike Tyson admits using fentanyl, 50 times stronger than heroin, in the 90s

Boxing legend Mike Tyson is giving fans a rare look into a painful chapter of his career. On a recent episode of the ‘Katie Miller Podcast’, Tyson revealed that during the late 1990s, he briefly used the powerful painkiller fentanyl to manage the injuries that come with being a heavyweight fighter.

“It was a painkiller, and I used it to patch up my toe,” Tyson said, recalling how he turned to the synthetic opioid, which is estimated to be 50 times stronger than heroin.

Advertisement

The former champion compared its effects and withdrawal to heroin. “Once it wears off and you take the Band-Aid off, you start withdrawing, throwing up, just like if you were on heroin,” he admitted.

Mike Tyson said he used fentanyl “quite a few times” before realizing how dangerous it could be for his career. “It was illegal if it [was] caught in my bloodstream,” he told the host. He also recalled asking a friend whether it was safe to use. “No one ever heard of it. Then he looks at me and says, ‘Mike, that’s a narcotic. You couldn’t use.’ I didn’t know that.”

Fentanyl is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for medical use, but its illegal use has skyrocketed in recent years. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control reported that over 48,000 people died from synthetic opioid overdoses, mostly caused by fentanyl.

Also Read: Jennifer Aniston says she felt relief Matthew Perry was no longer in pain

During the conversation, Tyson also discussed his advocacy for medical cannabis. He questioned why cannabis is treated as more dangerous than fentanyl by authorities. The Drug Enforcement Administration currently classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance, meaning it is considered to have a “high potential for abuse” and “no currently accepted medical use.” Fentanyl, by contrast, is a Schedule II drug, meaning it has recognized medical uses under supervision.

Tyson, a longtime supporter of cannabis, said he is on a personal mission to “give cannabis justice”. He hopes to see the drug rescheduled and eventually federally legalized.