It is no secret, despite some attempting to keep it that way, that drug abuse and addiction is a worldwide epidemic, especially in America. It is also no secret that I am diligent about bringing information to citizens about these trends and happenings in our country. Last year the United States surpassed an all-time record of overdose deaths (100,000) and a major contributing factor – fentanyl. This drug is a monster, and here is some insight.
My first introduction to fentanyl in the illegal drug market was around 2012 in Pulaski County, Missouri. I had previously heard about this drug being the ultimate painkiller in the pharmaceutical world but now it had made its debut in the dark illicit world of drug dealing. Fentanyl was being added to heroin to make this opioid even more powerful, and a killer it rapidly became.
Fast forward to 2022 and the problem has compound many times over. The Mexican Cartel has once again honed it drug dealing skills, and is now focusing on the distribution of fentanyl in the United States, just as it did with methamphetamine. This drug has transcended way beyond that of prescription medications and is now manufactured in clandestine drug labs in China. Massing shipments are then sent to Mexico where cartels smuggle this deadly concoction into the United States. Street gangs in America are the primary avenue for the distribution of illegal drugs.
To make it even more dangerous, fentanyl pills are manufactured to resemble Rx drugs and candy, along with gummies and other substances. Now, school-age children and teens are targeted, with overdoes and deaths being realized nationwide at alarming rates. Over the past few months, the Hays County Texas School District had seen four student fentanyl deaths, along with overdose victims that have survived. As recently as last week a Texas State Trooper came in contact with fentanyl during a traffic stop and overdosed, almost dying. Thankfully, the trooper was brought back to life by another first responder using the drug, Narcan.
To show a few examples of the amount of fentanyl coming across our southern border (drug seizures only), a traffic stop in Colorado this summer resulted in the seizure of 114 pounds of fentanyl pills, which is enough to kill an estimated 32-million people. This suspect escaped from custody and is now a federal fugitive. This August, Texas governor Greg Abbott announced that his efforts to secure the southern border has resulted in over 300-million doses of fentanyl being seized “just” at his Texas border. These type of stories continue, perpetual they are. No other drug comes close to comparing to the potency of fentanyl, or its deadly side effects.
Parents, educate yourselves about this drug, and make sure your children are, too. Fentanyl is a killer. There is no better time than now to “Just Say No!”