When it comes to the opioid crisis, fentanyl is one of the most dangerous drugs on the market. Despite its lethal potency, people continue to buy and use fentanyl for various reasons.
Below are recommended actions that different groups can take to address this issue. This bill will allow states to use the $146 million in grant funding through the Department of Health and Human Services to educate children and provide training and naloxone to teachers and school employees to save lives. When he woke up, everything he owned, including his drugs, money, shirts and even underwear, were gone. Instead, he says, ask for “fetty,” the powdered fentanyl that’s surged in popularity in the past year.
What are some common myths about fentanyl?
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is typically prescribed to treat severe pain, especially in cancer patients or those undergoing surgery. However, illicitly manufactured fentanyl has become a major player in the opioid epidemic due to its high potency and addictive qualities.
Why Do People Buy Fentanyl?
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Twitter said it does not allow its platform to be used to facilitate illegal transactions and that its advertisement policy prohibits the promotion of drugs and paraphernalia. Access to the Internet gives even small-time sellers in China transnational reach to market and ship their potent products. China has a vast pharmaceuticals and bulk chemical manufacturing sector, making compounds sold globally intended for legitimate purposes in medicine and industrial processes. Synthetic opioid vendors shield themselves behind layers of interlinked companies registered in these sectors or related fields such as biotechnology. The drug vendors NPR visited worked out of offices tucked away in shopping malls, residential towers and industrial complexes.
- As of January, 916 people were serving sentences in state prisons for drug offenses — primarily for distributing and manufacturing, according to the Office of Legislative Services.
- Overdoses among teenagers have doubled over the last decade; many have taken fentanyl pills that they believed contained a different drug, like Xanax, Percocet or oxycodone.
- And there’s no data to suggest that smoking fentanyl reduces the risk for fatal overdoses.
- The seller will also feature Xanax, “MUHA MINIS”, which is lingo used for vape cartridges, starting at $40 a cartridge.
- For those taking fentanyl in nonmedical settings, there is no medical team available to monitor someone’s breathing rate in real time to ensure their safety.
There are several reasons why individuals may choose to buy fentanyl despite its dangers:
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- Potent High: Fentanyl provides a powerful and fast-acting high that is often more intense than other opioids.
- Cheaper Alternative: Illicitly produced fentanyl is often cheaper and more accessible than prescription opioids, making it an attractive option for those struggling with addiction.
- Masking Other Drugs: Fentanyl is sometimes mixed with other drugs such as heroin or cocaine to increase their potency, leading users to unknowingly consume fentanyl.
- Availability: With the rise of online drug markets, fentanyl can be easily purchased and delivered discreetly to users’ doorsteps.
Experts say it’s hard to know just how much fentanyl is coming direct from China to the U.S. It all starts in China, where a booming legitimate chemical industry hides illegal producers, and precursor chemicals and other items such as pill presses have been scarcely regulated, according to a March report by the U.S. The immediate precursor chemical for fentanyl, called 4ANPP, can be purchased from China for $1,000 per kilogram and mixed with a few other chemicals to produce about 1 kilogram of pure fentanyl. “The guy who is addicted to heroin has no idea what he’s getting, he just knows he’s getting that same feeling,” said Dean Kirby, a senior forensic chemist at the DEA lab in San Diego. Fentanyl test strips are small strips of paper that were originally created to detect fentanyl in urine.
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Is Buying Fentanyl Legal?
No, buying fentanyl without a prescription is illegal and highly dangerous. The drug’s potency makes it easy to overdose, leading to respiratory failure and death. Furthermore, purchasing fentanyl from illicit sources puts users at risk of consuming counterfeit or contaminated drugs.
Regular heroin users who have a tolerance to opioids can take more fentanyl, possibly two or three times more, without suffering an overdose. Street doses of fentanyl (mixed into heroin or not) might be in the 500 to 2,000 microgram range, although beware of this claim. In truth, almost nothing is actually known about how much fentanyl is in street drugs, and doses vary enormously, often far outside this range, on both the lower and higher end. The Homeland Security and Justice departments have also increased enforcement operations aimed at the production and smuggling of fentanyl.
How Can We Address the Issue of Fentanyl Abuse?
It is crucial to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and provide support for those struggling with addiction. Access to treatment programs, harm reduction strategies, and education on the risks of opioid use can help combat the fentanyl epidemic.
In conclusion,
While the reasons for buying fentanyl may vary, the consequences of its use are consistently deadly. By addressing the underlying factors that drive individuals to purchase fentanyl and implementing effective prevention and treatment measures, we can work towards reducing the harm caused by this dangerous drug.
