Fentanyl dealers are to face charges for murder instead of illegal drug dealing
The pandemic of fentanyl use in the United States is ongoing. Hundreds of deaths a year are being investigated by the police. There is a new plan for dealing with the crisis. The aim is to charge dealers with murder crimes. "What is the difference between stabbing someone and selling them a pill that is going to kill them very likely?"
11:39 AM EST, February 21, 2024
Fentanyl is an opioid manufactured synthetically. It is hugely and unprecedently strong. Almost fifty times stronger than heroin and one hundred times stronger than morphine. One slightly incorrect butch can kill you.
Four wave of opiod epidemics
Many of the victims of fentanyl overdoses are underage; there are many victims that were only eighteen years old. It is common to see people in the subway or even in the street taking a dose of fentanyl and be death in thirty seconds.
The new idea by the Los Angeles Police is to charge the dealers of fentanyl with murder charges. Most of them know the potential consequences of selling fentanyl, especially to extremely young people and especially to people who are clearly addicted.
The experts say we are coming through a fourth wave of opioid use epidemics. It is crossing with the drug medicaments in the medical use debate. The loose prescriptions for opioids lead to an increase in heroin use and then the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The meth is also on the list of the most dangerous substances used in the United States.
Combined use is extremely common, studies show
An even more disturbing fact is that the use of opioids like fentanyl is also combined with the use of other drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine. It is reported that nearly 93% of people caught using fentanyl were also under the influence of other substances. The number is staggering and highly disturbing.
The use of heroin dropped, but it is not a good news. It just means that fentanyl is very easy to get, very widely used, very cheap, and unbelievably extremely addictive.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 people died in the U.S. in 2021 from drug overdoses, most because of fentanyl.
Sources: CBS News; news-medical.net
