It is usually compared to its likes, heroin and morphine, but research shows that fentanyl is much more powerful than heroin and much more potent than morphine. When taken in the slightest bit more than the body can handle, it can be disastrous. Despite being such a danger to society, fentanyl continues to circulate in America and is consumed heavily amongst the youth. It is a problem that could serious drain the American economy if not handled promptly.
Fentanyl has several other names; Apache, China girl, Chine white, dance fever, goodfella, jackpot, murder s, TNT, Tango, Cash. The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that it is the most disastrous drug abused in America and has led to a tremendous increase in drug related deaths.
One of the main causes of such remarkable rise in fentanyl abuse is its use as prescription for pain relief. A majority of the damage is caused by illegally manufactured drugs, but a good number of fentanyl abuses also results from a diversion from medical sources.
Recently, the DEA warned about a disturbing increase of cases of abuse of the substance. In a statement, the agency noted that fentanyl abuse was “occurring at an alarming rate throughout the United States and represents a significant threat to public health and safety.” The drug has so for some time now been used to treat pain, but there has been an overflow into the United States from Mexico.
According to Maura Healey, attorney general of Massachusetts, “It started out as an opioid epidemic, then heroin, but now it’s a fentanyl epidemic.” In an interview, she noted that fentanyl has become a drug of choice for drug cartels. “They have figured out a way to make fentanyl (more) cheaper and easily than heroin and are manufacturing it at a record pace.”
This has forced local law enforcement agencies to start working hard to deal with the problem. Some go as far as confiscating consignments of the drug. According to the police, the most lucrative deals take place in fast-food restaurants, around exits to nearby towns. They note that it is easy for a middle man to meet his dealer and get “100 fingers” (10 grams each) of fentanyl for $400 apiece. This middle man can easily sell each finger for $750 in a neighboring town, and make $35,000 a week.
However, you look at this, one thing is certain; fentanyl is a deadly drug and it continues to circulate in America. It’s absolutely difficult to control its use in the country, but a lot of effort needs to be put in to ensure that people consume them at controllable rates. Fentanyl is indeed deadly; deadlier than heroin and morphine. Americans absolutely need to know this so that they can watch out the next time they go for a dose of the drug.