THURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning the general public that colorfully dyed fentanyl — dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” — is available throughout the United States.

“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” mentioned DEA administrator Anne Milgram.

“The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States,” Milgram added in an company information launch.

The DEA and different regulation enforcement officers seized brightly coloured fentanyl and fentanyl capsules in 18 states in August. The confiscated medication embrace capsules, powders and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk.

Despite assertions that some colours could be stronger than others, DEA laboratory testing has discovered no proof to help these claims. Still, fentanyl is extraordinarily harmful, regardless of the colour, form or dimension, the DEA mentioned.

An artificial opioid, fentanyl is 100 occasions stronger than morphine and 50 occasions stronger than heroin. A deadly dose of fentanyl is considered as little as 2 milligrams, or about 10 to fifteen grains of desk salt. It is inconceivable to find out how a lot fentanyl is concentrated in a capsule or powder with out conducting laboratory testing, in response to the DEA.

Moreover, fentanyl stays essentially the most deadly drug risk to the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 107,622 Americans overdosed and died in 2021, with artificial opioids like fentanyl the reason for 66% of these deaths. Drug poisoning is the main reason for dying for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

If you encounter any type of fentanyl, chorus from dealing with it and name 911 instantly, the DEA suggested.

More data

The DEA’s Fentanyl Awareness web page lists further neighborhood and parental sources.

SOURCE: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, information launch, Aug. 30, 2022

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Feb. 8, 2022

Mexico has changed China because the “dominant source” of fentanyl and artificial opioids coming into the United States, a brand new authorities report says.

From 2014 till 2019, most pure fentanyl that U.S. authorities seized got here from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), mentioned the report from the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking.

“Since then, the dominant source of illegally sourced fentanyl has been Mexico,” the report says. “The drug is manufactured in illegal laboratories there using precursors from Asia — mainly the PRC — and is trafficked principally by land into the United States.”

Fentanyl is smuggled throughout the U.S.-Mexico border in packages, autos, and on individuals, the report says. Because the drug is so highly effective, “It is difficult to interdict given that just a small physical amount of this potent drug is enough to satisfy U.S. demand, making it highly profitable for traffickers and dealers,” the report says.

Fentanyl is a robust artificial opioid that’s prescribed to deal with extreme ache. However, folks misuse it due to its capacity to supply a potent excessive and emotions of euphoria.

The fee is a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, consultants and officers from federal departments and companies.

In a troubling be aware, the report mentioned Mexican drug cartels generally manufacture the drug in counterfeit tablets with model names similar to Adderall and Xanax, which means some individuals who eat fentanyl usually are not initially in search of it.

About 100,000 Americans overdosed and died throughout a latest 12-month interval, principally due to fentanyl and comparable artificial medication, says a letter included with the report from U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and U.S. Rep. David Trone of Maryland.

“The overdose crisis in the United States claims more lives each year than firearms, suicide, homicide, or motor vehicle crashes. This is one of our most-pressing national security, law enforcement, and public health challenges, and we must do more as a nation and a government to protect our most precious resource ― American lives,” the letter says.

The report makes suggestions for the U.S. to scale back the movement of fentanyl.

• Elevate the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy within the Executive Office to a cabinet-level place.
• Disrupt drug provide by way of focused oversight and enforcement, similar to providing federal grants to regulation enforcement companies to swiftly examine drug overdoses.
• Use public well being companies to teach the general public and scale back demand.
• Collaborate with international locations concerned within the manufacturing and distribution of artificial opioids.
• Improve surveillance and knowledge evaluation to permit for more-timely and interventions.

The Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking is a bipartisan group of lawmakers and officers from federal departments and companies.

In 2017, then-President Trump declare the opioid disaster a nationwide emergency.

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