He progressed to prescription painkillers, and then, when they became too expensive, to heroin. According to the report, most of this fentanyl originates in China. China has cracked down on fentanyl and some of its subtypes, or analogues, but the online dealers often tweak the formulas of their drugs slightly to stay ahead of bans.
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When confronted about his illicit business, Chen told NPR he did not sell fentanyl or precursors and denied he was the person behind the moniker “King Sun.” China has a vast pharmaceuticals and bulk chemical manufacturing sector, making compounds sold globally intended for legitimate purposes in medicine and industrial processes. Synthetic opioid vendors shield themselves behind layers of interlinked companies registered in these sectors or related fields such as biotechnology.
The Typologies Report
Since caffeine, alcohol, the Nicotine from cigarettes, or street drugs can affect the action of many medications, you should let your prescriber know if you use them. After 72 hours, there is still enough medication in the patch to cause serious harm to someone who is not using the fentanyl patch for pain control. Accidental exposure to the fentanyl patch may cause death or serious medical problems. When you remove the patch, fold it in half and keep it in a secure place until you can return it to your pharmacy for proper disposal.
More Chinese vendors are moving to password-protected websites, where access is given only to trusted customers. They are moving away from public social media accounts, for security reasons and because many companies, including Instagram and Reddit, have implemented rules that make it harder for illicit drug vendors to operate. Chen’s Facebook accounts were shut down last year, but he has created a new account. U.S. law enforcement acknowledged struggling to curb this online fentanyl marketplace, in part because many of the transactions are encrypted. “We know it’s happening. We still cannot get cooperation from major Internet companies, service providers, to be able to get into those devices that we know drug cartels are utilizing,” the DEA’s Donahue said. The successful bust won international praise but also drew attention to how easily synthetic opioids can be manufactured in small, clandestine spaces with rudimentary equipment.
Your Health Our Priority
- More than 105,000 people nationwide died of drug overdoses in 2023, including nearly 73,000 from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- And because money shouldn’t stand between someone and their chance at life, we accept Medicaid insurance and work with patients to navigate financial options.
- Acute naloxone administration antagonizes fentanyl-induced analgesia more than fentanyl-induced lethality.
- Callers can access free peer support, learn how to navigate treatment and referral services, and receive information on employment and licensing concerns.
- Additionally, fentanyl and synthetic opioids have other frequently reported side effects, including migraine, dizziness, vertigo, confusion, hallucinations, and a higher risk of fractures in the elderly59–63.
- Fentanyl has been shown to exert its analgesic and lethal effects through different receptor populations in the CNS.
One drug, fentanyl, is like rocket fuel in the sharp rise of the crisis. Fentanyl is a painkiller invented in the 1960’s and used to relieve the agony of advanced cancer. But today fentanyl can be ordered on the internet, by drug dealers and addicts, for an online overdose. As we first reported in April, tracking the source of this illicit trade is a story that begins with James Rauh.
Past Medical Issues
For example, when China announced it would ban one fentanyl product, called U-47700, on July 1, one fentanyl dealer advertised a “hot sale” of the product through June. A debate has begun among drug policy experts and public health officials over why fatal overdoses are declining so rapidly. PHS Community Services Society told VICE World News only people already in a safe supply program for opioids are prescribed the pharma-grade fentanyl, and they pay for their prescriptions to remove the financial incentive to re-sell the drugs. Fentanyl may cause serious harm or death if used accidentally by a child or by an adult who has not been prescribed the medication. Dispose of partially used lozenges according to the manufacturer’s directions immediately after you remove them from your mouth. If fentanyl is used by a child or an adult who has not been prescribed the medication, try to remove the medication from the person’s mouth and get emergency medical help.
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If you unknowingly take fentanyl in another drug, you may overdose since fentanyl is so potent. But these tips can reduce some of that risk and lower your chances of overdose, infection, or other problem. It’s hard to predict the amount of fentanyl that could kill someone. As little as 2 milligrams may be lethal depending on how big your body is, what your tolerance for opioids is, and your past usage of fentanyl. After you’ve taken an opioid like fentanyl for a long time, your brain gets used to the drug. This means your tolerance goes up and it takes more of it to get the same effect.
Help For First Responders And Health Care Workers
Your doctor may also prescribe you naloxone if you are living in a household where there are small children or someone who has abused street or prescription drugs. You should make sure that you and your family members, caregivers, or the people who spend time with you know how to tell recognize an overdose, how to use naloxone, and what to do until emergency medical help arrives. Your doctor or pharmacist will show you and your family members how to use the medication.
The calculations about how to get them help without pushing them away. In Akron, Ohio, our approach recognizes that healing doesn’t happen in isolated pieces. Our team understands that each person’s journey into fentanyl addiction came through a unique door, and our way out needs to be equally personalized.
Finding Hope: Treatment Approaches That Work
Dealers may sell it as a standalone drug or as a counterfeit for another drug (like oxycodone). It’s also used as a low-cost additive to other drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, molly, and ecstasy. Your doctor might prescribe fentanyl if you have severe pain due to cancer, nerve damage, serious injury, or major surgery. Medical experts said fentanyl isn’t volatile, meaning it doesn’t easily become a vapor, which means you’re not going to become sick from breathing near it. Experts said fentanyl doesn’t just float up into the air and unintentionally expose people nearby.
- Colleagues at the industrial materials company where he works describe him as a humorous but diligent employee, known for driving his white Jeep around town in northwestern China’s Ningxia region to meet potential clients.
- These physical signs are often the hardest to see—but they are among the clearest indicators of a serious problem.
- Fentanyl should be used along with your other pain medication(s).
- In fact, Elliptic’s internal analysis has identified no less than 14 suppliers that have been selling fentanyl to vendors on ASAP Market, receiving Bitcoin payments worth approximately $108,000 in total.
- For example, carfentanil, a fentanyl analog formed by substituting one chemical group for another, is 100 times more potent than its parent structure.
He said he purchased the epilepsy drug gabapentin from an online pharmacy in Mexico using Bitcoin as a payment method. Speaking to Newsweek under the condition of anonymity, he said he buys the drugs to manage his social anxiety and for “fun.” He added he hadn’t questioned whether the pharmacy he used was real or not. One website Newsweek found claims to sell a range of products from anxiety, diabetes and sexual health medications at cheap prices. While the website shows images of normal-looking pill packets and provides an email address and two phone numbers, it has no business address or license listed.
The seller will also feature Xanax, “MUHA MINIS”, which is lingo used for vape cartridges, starting at $40 a cartridge. For example, carfentanil, a fentanyl analog formed by substituting one chemical group for another, is 100 times more potent than its parent structure. Another analog, acetylfentanyl, is approximately three times less potent than fentanyl, but has still led to clusters of overdoses in several states. From Xanax to cocaine, drugs or counterfeit pills purchased in nonmedical settings may contain life-threatening amounts of fentanyl. Also, states with much higher population, including California, Florida and New York, are seeing big drops in deaths caused by street drugs.
Drugs like cocaine usually come in large shipments coming across the border by plane, ship or vehicle, Hanson said. Drug supply chains are changing in other ways as traffickers engage in a cat-and-mouse game to evade law enforcement. A salesperson at a different company, Shunwei Biological, based in Shijiazhuang, said in May that it was still selling two fentanyl precursors and a range of synthetic cannabinoids to customers in the United States. “We are shipping to the U.S. and have success with deliveries to your country and others,” the salesperson said.
You may also feel dizzy, drowsy, have vision changes, or have unpleasant side effects such as dry mouth, stomach pain, or anxiety. Some opioids come directly from the opium poppy plant, but manufacturers make fentanyl in a lab and reproduce the chemical structure. One line is a positive result and means there is fentanyl in your drug supply. After a fentanyl treatment, you may have side effects that hinder your thinking and reactions or cause dizziness or drowsiness. Because of this, don’t drive or do activities that require you to be fully alert and awake after your treatment.
Mental Health Effects
NPR addiction correspondent Brian Mann contributed reporting from New York. Mexican cartels have also begun distributing fentanyl products, using ingredients largely made in China. “Now the role of China — and the growing role of India — is sending precursor chemicals directly to cartels in Mexico to produce the fentanyl in clandestine labs,” the DEA’s Donahue said.
