100,000 people are dying each year due to overdose (most from fentanyl)

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/18/health/drug-overdose-deaths-2022/index.html#:~:text=Monthly%20updates%20to%20the%20provisional,compared%20with%20109%2C179%20in%202021.

The sad thing is that a significant part of the deaths are from people that don't even know they are consuming fentanyl.

It's just so cheap to add fentanyl to any synthetic drug, or even to apparently harmless things like marijuana.

Anyway, be smart:

1. don't use drugs

2. If you must, make/plant them yourself

Or be sure you know exactly who and how they are making them.

Don't do drugs or the NARCs will come and get you!

Don't buy street drugs. It baffles my mind how some people still buy street weed when they live in an area where they can legally buy it from a dispenery.

Just don't buy shit off the streets, period.

@BassMan: I spent so much money on that game at the arcade. Beating Mr. Big was worth it.

On topic.. had a friend here recently die from fentanyl. He was buying Xanax off the street. Only drugs I'm putting in my body are gonna be from a pharmacy.

Naloxone kits for everyone.

Never tried it, but I know where I could get some if I really want to. But I don't really want to.

The growing problem is Xylazine which is mixed with Fentanyl to create Tranq. Xylazine is an anathestic which makes Naloxone ineffective in many cases.

This is going to get far worse.

I favor an automatic death sentence for dealing any amount of these drugs. You get what you give.

Legalize, tax, and regulate.

Facts:

• War on drugs is a collossal failure.
• Keeping them illegal is literally killing people by forcing them to go to unregulated markets and sources, where they are being poisoned.
• A certain % of the population will always do drugs (and you could argue they have a right to do so), so abstaining is a non-solution.
• Given all the above, it is therefore highly unethical of our society to continue to punish drug users solely for being drug users (other crimes, of course, should be punished).

We just need to legalize it. Set up shops where we can regulate. Use the tax revenue to fund rehab clinics.

This is a "problem" that will solve itself if we let it.

Jesus, WTF is the point, then?

Do they actually WANT to kill their customers?

I know some of the conspiracy nuts think this is how China is waging war on us secretly, and shit like this sort of makes me think they have a point lol

Finally, after a long time, the xylazine issue in Philly is making the waves more and more frequently. IMO there isn't much hope for these kinds of people.

Brandon does not stop the border criminals and the problem is worst now.

So what are you saying? Opium Wars 3: The Tables have turned?

Xylazine is medications used for pets. It's not an issue on it own. People that sell fentanyl just realized cutting it with xylazine gives a more intense high. Even worse when it's cut with xylazine it you can't use narcane to bring someone back from an OD. A ton of fentanyl is being made by China, the raw chemicals, the federal government has put restrictions on what China can sell to america is regards to these chemicals, manufactures in china have even gone to the lengths of slightly changing the chemical compounds to get around these restrictions. The majority of it is coming across the border though. The cartel is also pushing fentanyl into the US. The dealers are cutting it with Xylazine (tranq) to make more money.

This drug imo can not be regulated, it litteraly rots peoples flesh. These addicts look like zombies from resident evil. We need to be closing the border. When you see the numbers of death in the US from this, I'd consider it act of war on the US. I'm cool with the military declaring war on the cartel. Also secure the border ffs. It needs to be secured anyway. It's not sustainable, all the drugs and undocumented peoples flowing into the country.

This is a lot worse than weed, cocaine/crack/meth/heroin.

Fentanyl is a new beast on its own. Especially now that people are cutting it with Xylazine to make "Tranq". We can't even use Narcane on these addicts and their flesh is getting eaten away off the bone

@sargentd: Yeah I remember reading something about a synthetic, sewer-grade heroin substitute call "krokodil" or something from Russia that was dissolving people from the inside after using it. They looked like lepers or people with flesh eating bacteria.

My main question though is: why fentanyl? Is it better than heroin? Cheaper? More available? I feel like if people could get real heroin, they'd prefer that over fentanyl but then again maybe not?

I'm all for legalization of most natural drugs and even some synthesized ones, but there's a limit I think. Meth, fentanyl, etc.

Pretty depressing what has happened to Philadelphia, and many other cities

@mrbojangles25: Yes, it's cheaper than heroin, and much easier to import due to its potency by volume/weight and lack of odour. Apparently heroin isn't even available anymore on the streets of many major US cities.

The general impression among users, from what I've heard, is that fentanyl hits harder and quicker, and wears off sooner. As a result, addicts need to re-dose more often.

So in answer to why fentanyl? Simple economics.

Would addicts prefer to be using heroin? From the interviews I've watched, many would rather be on heroin, sure - or at least they don't want to be on fentanyl. But whether either is inherently safer... I think that's still open to debate. It's probable that pharmaceutical grade fentanyl is less likely to exhibit the kind of variability in potency and purity that street heroin frequently did, by its nature, which could actually lead to fewer overdoses among stable addicts, at least from one factor... but the addiction is apparently a killer to kick - much moreso than even heroin. I think it's fair to say both are pretty freaking destructive to the lives of most of the kind of people who are looking for them.

I totally agree that there should be limits on legalisation, and this is definitely one example for me.

@joshrmeyer: sorry to hear that.

May I ask if it has become a common occurrence in the USA to know young people that have passed away from drug use ?

@sargentd: I don't think it's feasible to prevent drug trafficking by closing the border.

The border with Mexico is huge, and you need a very small amount of fentanyl to make a massive amount of drugs. You could simply use a small undetectable drone and move it easily.

Also fully closing the border would have such negative economical consequences (trade with and through mexico is huge) that you will probably create more drug addicts of all the people that would loose their jobs.

There needs to be a better public awareness campaign, my conversations with Americans always led me to believe that a majority of people take drugs very lightly, like they think you are idiot if you are being careful and that a degree of consumption (as long as you are socially functional) is "cool".

@BassMan: LOL love how the drug dealers are all apparently also flashers as well. XD

I don't think "better" is the right word for it. More intense high for a smaller amount. A lot of heroin addicts went right over to Fet. And yeah, it's more readily available because the country is being flooded with fet instead of heroin.

It takes less fet than it does heroin to overdose. And now with people cutting fet with Xy (Tranq) it's even more intense of a high and even more deadly.

The city of brotherly love. lol

Certain parts of the city have become demilitarized zones whether it's violence or drug infestation.

People will bitch and moan but when the times comes, they stick with the status quo.

I see no evidence that any kind of enforcement can stop most of it.

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/21/1158300583/fentanyl-smuggling-border-mexico-overdose-drug-war