Fentanyl: The synthetic opioid devastating the US
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid analgesic approved in the US in the 1960s. However, because it’s easy to make, cheap and potent, a black market for it has bloomed in the country in recent years. Traffickers looking to increase addiction, mix the whole illegal drugs supply with fentanyl. Unsuspecting users are overdosing and dying from illicitly manufactured fentanyl when they consume cocaine, heroin, or MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly). And individuals needing safe medications to treat chronic pain or anxiety are getting counterfeit pills instead. Experts are particularly alarmed by the high number of teenagers overdosing and dying after getting fake pills on social media or from school dealers.
Produced by Natalia Guerrero
