The USA tariff wars with Mexico and Canada
President of the United States, Donald Trump, has introduced trade tariffs on goods coming into the country from Mexico and Canada to try and get these countries to strengthen their border policies and to in turn drastically reduce – in his words – “the tremendous amounts of fentanyl and illegal Aliens that pour into the United States.” He further stated that “these weak border policies are responsible for the death of many people.”
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is an illegal powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more powerful. It is made in a laboratory and is very cheap to produce. It acts in a similar way to heroin in that when used it binds to the opioid receptors in the brain. However as noted above, fentanyl is deadly as it is so much stronger than heroin by about times 50! For example a dose of about 30 milligrams of heroin is enough to cause an overdose but as little as only 3 milligram of fentanyl is enough to kill an average sized male. To put that into perspective, a 2 milligram dose is equivalent to 5-7 grains of salt.
Fentanyl is a highly dangerous drug
Dealers have always “cut” drugs such as heroin with a variety of different substances. This means that the drug dealers will add other drugs or non-intoxicating substances to the drug so they can sell more of it at a lesser cost to themselves. However, due to the fact that a tiny amount of fentanyl is so very powerful, it means the drug can be cut even further with non-intoxicating substances, such as talcum powder, caffeine and sucrose. By using fentanyl in the mix it will still produce the desired effect.
A deadly problem with fentanyl has arisen. The recommended single dose of fentanyl, medically administered for pain, is up to a maximum of 0.25 milligrams. On the ‘illegal’ market, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine are cut with imprecise amounts of fentanyl, leading to many deaths by overdose directly caused by the fentanyl.
Deaths from fentanyl
Deaths from fentanyl use have been acknowledged in the United |States for many years. It is also known that China has supplied chemicals and equipment to both Mexico and Canada to help manufacture the synthetic drug. However, in the UK, opioid related deaths have only seen a concerning increase in the last few years. Since 2021 Scotland has been noted as having the highest number of opioid related deaths in Europe. There is now an additional risk that supplies produced in Canada could be diverted away from the USA and rerouted to the UK.
Rise in fentanyl use in the UK
Synthetic opioids do not yet have a firm foothold in the UK but their use is definitely on the rise. Apart from fentanyl there are other synthetic opioids being produced that are called nitazenes. The dramatic rise of the introduction of these synthetic opioids is as a direct result of the Taliban prohibiting heroin production in Afghanistan. Afghanistan was the world’s leading exporter of heroin, accounting for about 80% of the world’s supply. Before the ban, 95% of the heroin found in Britain came from Afghanistan – so something had to fill the vacuum the ban left. Many dealers have since switched to even more dangerous illegal products such as fentanyl and nitazenes.
Support for fentanyl users
Before epidemic levels are reached similar to those in the USA, the British government needs to take action to prevent a public health crisis. The import of synthetic opioids should be banned. Additionally there should be more help and support for drug users as it is unlikely that a ban would stop all synthetic opioids from reaching the country. For example, improving the needle exchange service, providing fentanyl test strips and setting up a drug overdose health alert network.
No illegal drug or medication bought off the internet can be guaranteed to be free from a drug like fentanyl. It is therefore important that drug users have access at all times to naloxone, an emergency medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It comes in the form of a nasal spray or in an EpiPen that can be injected into a muscle, vein or just under the skin. Due to the very high strength of fentanyl it might be advisable to carry two means of administering naloxone. It is also recommended not to use any drug on your own but to be with someone so that they are there to help should you accidentally overdose.