Fentanyl, A Drug 50 Times More Powerful Than Heroin
Prince was an American singer who will be remembered for being one of the great musical icons of the 80s. Although he was always in the shadow of Michael Jackson, was the great innovator of black music with his unique stamp that gave shape to a rather psychedelic funk-pop. Some of his best-known songs are: Purple Rain (1984) and Sign O’The Times (1987). Prince continued to be an innovative artist until last April, when a powerful opiate called Fentanyl forever extinguished his voice
Until recently, most people did not know what fentanyl was, which in recent months has become one of the favorite drugs of the Mexican cartels. This is because it is a very powerful and very popular substance. in United States. In fact, it is a very profitable drug, according to North American authorities.
There are many types of drugs. Learn more about the different psychoactive substances in our article: “Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects”
Fentanyl is one of the most powerful opioids on the market
It is used as an anesthetic in the operating room, for breakthrough cancer pain, and for recovery from surgery. It is a powerful synthetic opiate agonist, belonging to the group of narcotics, derived from phenylpiperidine, and is very soluble in lipids.
Structurally it is similar to meperidine, alfentanil, and sufentanil. Fentanyl It was first synthesized in 1960 by a Belgian pharmacist but in recent months it has burst onto the streets of American and Canadian towns and cities, becoming an epidemic that is leaving a trail of deaths.
Fentanyl comes in several forms: injection, skin patch, buccal film, or lollipop device, immediate dissolving pills with intraoral absorption, and fentanyl inhalers. The injection is usually common in hospitals. And for the individual who uses it outside of the hospital environment it is extremely dangerous since the difference between the therapeutic dose and the fatal dose is very small.
As with other opiates, the most common symptoms of abuse are: euphoria, analgesia, drowsiness or lethargy. Fentanyl causes tolerance to high doses, so an appropriate dose may vary from week to week.
There are many unwanted symptoms that can appear with the consumption of this opiate:
Fentanyl Addiction: the new epidemic in the United States
Fentanyl may have become popular around the globe due to Prince’s death, but the truth is that for some time now drug traffickers have realized the potential business of this drug in the illegal market. An exhaustive medical examination carried out on the pop star confirmed death due to overdose due to the consumption of this substance, ending weeks of speculation.
Since then, In the United States, there are several organizations that have sent a warning signal about the increase in fentanyl consumption in this country (also in its neighboring country, Canada). Because the most powerful painkiller used by doctors is being sold on the streets, causing several deaths. As explained by the Centers for Disease Control to the cnn“we are facing a new public health crisis.”
Furthermore, as confirmed by the US authorities located on the border with Mexico: “Mexican cartels not only receive shipments of fentanyl from China. It has been detected that They themselves are producing this drug in their clandestine laboratories since the demand for opioids by American citizens is growing.”
Drug experts are worried, because In the United States there are still deaths almost daily A few weeks ago, the British newspaper Meter It reported the dangers of this drug and confirmed the death of 10 people in just twelve days in the state of Sacramento.
One of the victims was Jerome Bruner, who died after consuming fentanyl, thinking it was a harmless painkiller. His mother, Natasha, in statements to the newspaper itself, said: “His organs were affected, his liver was affected, his kidneys were affected. His brain was swollen. The doctor said there was nothing he could do to save her life.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States states: “Illegally manufactured fentanyl is 20 to 100 times more potent than heroin. “The drug used to treat cancer pain is very strong and can easily cause an overdose, even in habitual hard drug users.”
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