Writer: Ibrahim Ali
Editor: Valerie Barrios
Graphic Editor: Anushka Edlabadkar
The Fentanyl Crisis. Any drug crisis we hear about in the news always seems far away from us, only affecting those that are not close to us. Oftentimes, we might see the effects of the drug crisis on TV and think “I am safe from that-this drug crisis won’t affect me”. But this drug crisis has overtaken the country in the form of fentanyl.
Fentanyl is an opioid that eases pain and so it is often mixed in many medicines and recipes. But unregulated, it can be dangerous. It is much more potent, or has a greater effect, than heroin. It is not twice as strong or three times as strong, it is rather 50 times stronger than heroin. Fentanyl starts as a friend as it is a medicine used to ease pain for those suffering from diseases or post-surgeries as it causes people to feel relaxed and at ease. But this medicine is also highly addictive when unregulated. When people take too much of the medicine or they do not use it in a moderate cycle as suggested by doctors, many can become addicted to this substance.
However, this is not the primary method in which fentanyl addiction is started. Another method is that it could be obtained from those getting drugs on the street. Since drugs on the street are unregulated, drugs can be mixed with each other. So someone looking to take a certain drug will often find that drug laced, or mixed, with fentanyl. It makes the initial drug addictive and places people’s lives in danger. This mixture is fatal and can happen with even legal substances such as cannabis and over the counter medication. It is simply the manner in which one attains these things that could be fatal since they are not handled properly.
So what makes fentanyl so attractive to drug abusers? For those looking to escape pain or simply feel good, fentanyl is a gateway to pleasure, even if temporary. Since it is strong, it surpasses effects of gateway drugs such as weed and even higher drugs such as methamphetamine. The destruction done by the drug can be seen right here in sunny San Diego as deaths related to the opioid have risen 33% in the last year. Public transportations increases in drug-infested individuals as you get closer and closer to downtown. The problem is real and it does not stop there.
So what can we do as of today? We can raise awareness and caution towards those who are involved in getting medications and substances from the streets. Many of those on the streets for fentanyl today were successful people yesterday. Mothers, fathers, daughters and sons have all succumbed to the effects of fentanyl because many of their exposures happened through secondary drugs, such as weed or even cigarettes.
