What is Fentanyl? The leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45

What can be harmful about a drug that is used by medical practitioners as an anesthesia to curb extreme levels of pain before and after surgeries? What if this particular drug is responsible for killing 70% of more than 112,000 drug related deaths in the US? Yes, it has its positive uses but its overdose can kill people instantly. Fentanyl, an opioid is what is being discussed here.

Both the federal and state agencies have been active in preventing death related to Fentanyl overdose. However, there is an international angle too. It works on the nervous system and has disastrous consequences. It is available cheaply and this only adds to the woes of the law enforcement agencies.

What is Fentanyl?

It is an opioid that is extensively used in the medical sector. It is administered to curb the pain experienced during and after surgeries. Many patients are also prescribed this drug to handle extreme pain emanating from certain medical conditions. It is administered and consumed based on medical advice.


It is known to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. It is also more deadly that other well-known narcotics including Heroin and Cocaine.

Fentanyl manufacturing:

It is not the drug consumed under medical advice that is killing the people, it is the synthetic drugs being manufactured in the factories which are killing American citizens. These are being manufactured in factories across the US and abroad.

Consumption of Fentanyl leads to drowsiness and sedation. The overdose of this drug leads to loss of consciousness and loss of breath. From then, within a short span of time when the body has been deprived of oxygen, it leads to the death of the individual.

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Is it available cheaply?

Generally, the street price of Fentanyl in the US is on an average $40. In many places including Washington DC, it is available for as cheap as 50 cents to $5 per pill. When compared to the average street price of Cocaine in the US which is $60-$200 per gram, this is a cheaper drug to consume.

In many cases, the dealers on the street lace Fentanyl with other drugs such as Cocaine and Heroin and make it available to the consumers.

International angle:

Chinese aggression in this case has been well documented. In many cases, it has been noticed that the border between US and Mexico is being used to smuggle in these drugs. The raw materials are being procured from China, factories being set up in Mexico and it is being brought into the US. The FBI Director who had earlier briefed a Congressional committee had said that the Chinese were pumping in drugs into the US, sometimes using the Mexico border.

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Government’s action:

The New York Times has reported that in 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration had seized 386 million doses of Fentanyl. There are resource constraints facing the agencies and this has also become a political issue. Many of these drugs used to tackle drug overdose has also been made available easily. Rules have been amended to permit over the counter sales.

The Republicans have targeted the Democrats for failing to control this issue.

FAQs

What has been the leading cause of Fentanyl consumption in the US?
It has been observed that the year 2020 and the following years, the effects of COVID-19 continued to haunt the US. Along with the pandemic, there was also a mental health pandemic which caused many citizens to consume drugs including Fentanyl.

How many drug rehab centers does the US have?
As of 2022, there were more than 17,000 substance abuse rehab centers in the US. However, they have been found to be inadequate.