Answer Addiction

Tag: Fentanyl

  • USPS, FedEx Remain Easiest Way To Ship Fentanyl Into US

    USPS, FedEx Remain Easiest Way To Ship Fentanyl Into US

    “The sheer logistical nature of trying to pick out which packages contain opioids makes it much more challenging,” said a Customs and Border Protection official.

    A recent federal court case involving 43 members of a methamphetamine distribution network with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel again highlighted the relative ease with which the United States Postal Service (USPS) and private carriers like FedEx can be used to deliver powerful synthetic opioids into the United States.

    The case involved a San Diego-based network that shipped methamphetamine and the “club drug” gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) to locations throughout the U.S. using the postal service and FedEx. 

    Coverage in Quartz detailed how increases in express shipping, combined with a lack of sufficient staffing at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and carriers like the UPS allow such transactions to take place. 

    Former FBI agent Dennis Franks said that the current method of stopping drugs from entering the country through the mail is like “putting your finger in a dike, but there’s just not enough fingers to put in all the holes.”

    The 43 defendants in the federal case used the USPS and fraudulent FedEx accounts to mail drugs to sub-distributors. The FedEx accounts were “billed to and paid for” by large corporations in the belief that the companies would not notice smaller shipment costs.

    A joint task force involving the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, sheriff’s and police departments, the United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Prisons collaborated to file indictments against 43 members of the network on May 21.

    Despite efforts like these, the practice of importing drugs through the USPS and private carriers remains a serious problem for state and federal law enforcement.

    According to congressional testimony from the union that represents CBP officers, the agency needs more than double the number of inspectors currently on duty at mail sorting facilities to keep up with the volume of packages to “ensure successful interdiction.” 

    In the past five years, express shipments have increased by nearly 50%, while international mail shipments have risen more than 200%. But at shipping and receiving hubs like the one maintained by FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee, there were only 15 CBP officers working on the overnight shift to process 86 million shipments in 2018.

    “The sheer logistical nature of trying to pick out which packages contain opioids makes it much more challenging,” said Robert E. Perez, an acting executive assistant commissioner for CBP. “It’s unlike anything we’ve encountered.”

    Policy changes incurred by the change in government administrations, as well as the necessity of a warrant to search any package sent via the USPS, also contribute to the overwhelming issues that confront law enforcement with mail shipments. 

    And as Franks noted, the cartels and related networks have their own means of assuring that their deliveries go unchallenged.

    “Don’t think that these cartels don’t have their own ‘intelligence services,’” he told Quartz. “Friends, family members working on the inside. So they’re going to know how many agents or officers are assigned to which FedEx facility, when they’re working, and when they’re not.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Heroin Is Being Replaced With Fentanyl Across East Coast, Midwest

    Heroin Is Being Replaced With Fentanyl Across East Coast, Midwest

    The surge of fentanyl availability in these parts of the country is putting long-time heroin users at risk for overdose. 

    In some places in the United States, heroin is becoming scarce or has even disappeared entirely.

    Throughout the East Coast and in parts of the Midwest—where heroin fueled addiction, overdose, medical injury and death—availability of the drug is receding. Instead, the New York Times reports, it is the deadly drug fentanyl that is within reach.

    Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid, said to be able to cause overdose and death with just a small amount. In medical settings, fentanyl is used only for the most intractable and unbearable pain, such as late stage cancer. Fentanyl is cheaper to produce than heroin, while giving more bang for the buck.

    For those who use it, knowingly or unknowingly, fentanyl is “more addictive than heroin,” reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Many who use fentanyl find that afterward, heroin alone is not strong enough to stop all their withdrawal symptoms and cravings. 

    Looking at a concentrated area, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released a 2017 report on Pennsylvania. The report stated that in Philadelphia, fentanyl was found in 84% of 1,217 fatal overdoses in 2018, and in 67% of the state’s 5,456 overdose deaths in 2017.

    The surge of fentanyl availability has affected long-time heroin users who have been able to manage their drug use so that it does not kill them, the Times reports.

    Along the East Coast and in the Midwest, people with long-term heroin addiction who have turned to fentanyl are dying of overdoses, unable to manage the potency and unpredictability of fentanyl exposure.

    Narcan (naloxone), the opioid overdose-reversing drug, works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain. Narcan can last for 30 to 90 minutes in the body.

    Fentanyl lasts for hours in the body. For some people overdosing on fentanyl, multiple doses of Narcan are required over a period of time, and it still may not be enough to save the person’s life.

    Researchers are working on a naloxone-based antidote that might be able to sustain prolonged results in the body, even blocking the effects of a fentanyl overdose for hours.

    A study presented at a meeting of The American Chemical Society by the Allegheny Health Network Research Institute and the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center showed promising results in lab animals. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Best Treatment Options for Duragesic Addiction

    Best Treatment Options for Duragesic Addiction

    If you or someone you know is dealing with Duragesic addiction, you must call on professional help to make your recovery.

    Rehab and treatment centers around the country advertise their services in print and online. However, not all options will meet your specific needs. To support your own best interests, you must be familiar with some of the basics of Duragesic-related problems. You must also familiarize yourself with the most effective addiction treatments and identify rehab facilities with a proven track record for top-quality care. 

    Table of Contents

    1. What is Duragesic and What is it Used For?
    2. Development of Duragesic or Fentanyl Dependence
    3. Development of Duragesic Addiction or Fentanyl Addiction
    4. Fentanyl and Duragesic Recovery Begin with Enrollment in Detox
    5. The Impact of Co-Occurring Mental Disorders and Addiction
    6. Duragesic Rehab Is a Necessary Next Step
    7. Options for Successful Rehab and Recovery
    8. Duragesic Treatment Plans
    9. Identifying Preferred Treatment and Rehab Facilities

    What is Duragesic and What is it Used For?

    Duragesic is the trademarked name of a prescription medication that contains the powerful opioid fentanyl. It comes in the form of a transdermal patch applied to the skin. The patch’s fentanyl content is gradually absorbed into your bloodstream over a period of several days.

    Like all opioid prescription drugs, Duragesic/fentanyl decreases your pain sensitivity by blocking normal pain signaling in your body and brain. Secondary effects of the medication include sedation and intense feelings of pleasure and happiness. These feelings help explain fentanyl’s potential as a drug of abuse. That’s true because patterns of abuse often begin as the consequence of a desire for repeated mood elevation.  

    Doctors should only prescribe Duragesic to people who meet certain strict criteria. First, to qualify for legitimate use, you must have pain symptoms that are chronic and severe enough to call for 24-hour treatment. In addition, you must have tried other treatment options that failed to provide you with adequate relief.

    Finally, you must have a considerable, pre-existing tolerance to the effects of opioid drugs or medications. The level of intake required to meet the definition of tolerance varies from substance to substance. (Some people qualify for Duragesic use after becoming tolerant to weaker prescription opioids. Others may have a prior history of using heroin or other opioid street drugs.)

    These precautions are due to Duragesic’s high fentanyl content. Fentanyl, a completely synthetic or manmade medication, is one of the world’s strongest opioids. When used improperly, it produces heightened risks for two serious problems: addiction and overdose. In fact, fentanyl and similar synthetic products are currently responsible for more deaths than any other opioid medication or drug.

    The list of additional fentanyl-based prescription drugs includes Sublimaze and Actiq. When abused or sold through illegal means, fentanyl products are often known by street names such as:

    • Jackpot

    • China Girl

    • Friend

    • Dance Fever

    • Tango and Cash

    • China White

    • Murder 8

    • Apache

    • Goodfellas


    Development of Duragesic or Fentanyl Dependence

    Duragesic can be vital for the treatment of opioid-tolerant people coping with severe, chronic pain. However, since this prescription drug contains fentanyl, it has the clear potential to produce both dependence and addiction. In the case of opioid drugs and medications, dependence and addiction are not the same thing.

    Since Duragesic is used to help people with chronic pain symptoms, its consumption often continues over extended periods of time. Long-term intake of any prescription opioid can make you dependent. In the case of Duragesic, a state of dependence occurs when your brain comes to expect regular doses of fentanyl. If those doses don’t arrive at the typical time or in typical amounts, you may experience symptoms of withdrawal.

    Early symptoms of classic opioid withdrawal range from excessive tear and mucus production to increased sweating, uncontrolled yawning and disrupted sleep. If withdrawal progresses further, you may develop additional symptoms such as dilated pupils, goose bumps and abdominal and bowel problems.

    Fentanyl dependence is a manageable condition. Your doctor can work with you to provide a dose of the medication that provides adequate pain treatment and steers you clear of withdrawal. Every day, people dependent on Duragesic remain functional members of society with the proper medical help and oversight.

    Development of Duragesic Addiction or Fentanyl Addiction

    Untreated fentanyl addiction or Duragesic addiction is something else entirely. People who pass from controlled dependence to uncontrolled addiction experience clear, damaging changes in their physical and/or mental well-being. They also typically lose their ability to maintain functional and stable lives.

    It’s critical to note that you can develop an addiction to Duragesic even if you take this prescription drug exactly as intended by your doctor. However, your risks for addiction increase significantly if you engage in a pattern of misuse or abuse. Abuse of fentanyl or Duragesic can be divided into three forms or categories.

    If you hold a legitimate prescription for the medication, you can fall into abuse by consuming it more often than your doctor indicated. You can also meet the standard for misuse/abuse by taking the drug in larger amounts than indicated. The third category of Duragesic abuse includes anyone who uses even a single transdermal patch without a prescription.

    A doctor or addiction specialist can diagnose the presence of a fentanyl addiction by looking for the presence of certain symptoms. These symptoms form part of a condition called opioid use disorder, or OUD. Doctors and public health officials use the OUD label to describe substance disorders triggered by the use of opioid drugs or medications. The terms for opioid use disorder also include people who are not addicted, but nevertheless experience serious, opioid-related harms.

    Possible Opioid Use Disorder Indicators in Duragesic Users

    • Regularly using Duragesic too often or in higher-than-prescribed amounts

    • Losing your ability to gain control over your intake despite multiple efforts

    • Using the prescription drug repeatedly in dangerous situations

    • The presence of strong urges for further Duragesic abuse

    • Maintenance of a pattern of use that you know harms your physical or mental health

    • Maintenance of a pattern of use that you know interferes with important relationships

    • Rising tolerance to the painkilling or pleasure-producing effects of fentanyl

    • Establishment of Duragesic/fentanyl abuse as a major element of your daily schedule

    • Replacement of former activities or hobbies with Duragesic abuse

    • A failure to meet important life responsibilities that’s the result of your prescription drug consumption

    • The onset of withdrawal if you switch to a lower-strength patch, use Duragesic less often or completely stop use of the medication


    It’s possible to have mild, moderate or severe symptoms of opioid use disorder. Part of that determination is based on the overall number of symptoms present within a 12-month period. You may also have specific symptoms that vary in intensity or duration.

    Fentanyl and Duragesic Recovery Begin with Enrollment in Detox

    Effective help is available for people affected by Duragesic addiction or fentanyl addiction. The first step in the road to lasting recovery is participation in a medical detox (detoxification) program. Detox begins when your consumption of a drug or medication comes to a halt. With no more of the addictive substance flowing into your bloodstream, you will begin to go through the process of withdrawal.

    Unfortunately, people with an addiction to Duragesic and other forms of fentanyl are susceptible to severe withdrawal symptoms. These severe issues can take the form of disrupted sleep, overwhelming urges for continued drug intake and a combination of diarrhea and vomiting. You may also experience problems such as involuntary movement of your legs, pain in your bones or muscles, or goose flesh accompanied by cold flashes.

    No matter what type of substance you abuse, the severity of withdrawal symptoms during detox can make you want to halt your recovery efforts. This is especially true for people enrolled in detox for a Duragesic addiction or fentanyl addiction. In these cases, severe symptoms can appear just a few hours after medication intake stops.

    In recent years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved some new treatment options that may help make the process more tolerable. One option now available to anyone struggling with severe fentanyl withdrawal is the non-opioid medication lofexidine. This prescription drug widens your blood vessels and increases blood flow in your circulatory system. In turn, this increased blood flow helps ease the intensity of Duragesic detox.

    Your doctor may also prescribe an electrical, nerve-stimulating device called the NSS-2 Bridge. When placed behind your ear, the NSS-2 sends periodic pulses of electricity to the cranial nerves at the bottom of your brain. These pulses alter nerve function in a way designed to help control your detox symptoms. You may receive treatment with the device for as many as five days.

    The Impact of Co-Occurring Mental Disorders and Addiction

    The time you spend in detox before active rehabilitation has other vital uses. For instance, it gives your doctor a chance to assess you for additional problems that may be damaging your well-being. One problem of particular importance is the presence of a serious mental health issue other than opioid use disorder. When mental health disorders appear in combination with OUD or other substance use disorders, you may qualify for something called co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis.

    Co-occurring disorders are relatively common. That’s unfortunate, because their presence can make it much more difficult to provide adequate treatment. In some cases, fentanyl addiction (or other drug or alcohol problems) may appear before the onset of separate mental illness. In other cases, diagnosable symptoms of mental illness appear prior to the onset of addiction. To recover from co-occurring disorders, you must receive treatments that address mental illness as well as your prescription drug problem.

    Depression is one of the most frequent mental illnesses in people affected by dual diagnosis. Other conditions known to appear in combination with substance addiction include schizophrenic disorders and anxiety disorders. Personality disorder (PD) is also on the short list of the most likely contributors to dual diagnosis.

    Duragesic Rehab Is a Necessary Next Step

    To make good on your recovery from fentanyl addiction, you must enter Duragesic rehab after you complete the detox process. If you fail to follow up your detox participation with a rehabilitation program, you run several major risks. First, without follow-up addiction treatment, you can quickly end up returning to a pattern of fentanyl abuse. Relapses are not uncommon in people in recovery. However, they pose a special danger for people recovering from fentanyl- or Duragesic-related problems.

    Since fentanyl is one of the strongest opioids in the world, it has a tremendous potential to trigger the symptoms of opioid overdose. In recent years, the number of overdoses related to use of this powerful drug have skyrocketed. Throughout the nation, public health officials view this rise in fatalities as a major threat and challenge.

    Why is this information important to people who detox from Duragesic? During the detox process, you will gradually grow less tolerant to the drug effects of fentanyl. When detoxification is complete, you’ll feel the impact of doses far below your previous, accustomed level of intake. If you try to “pick up where you left off,” you may be on a fast track to an overdose with a potentially lethal outcome. For these reasons, addiction experts view relapse and overdose as the primary dangers of detox.

    There is another huge reason for entering a rehab treatment facility after detox ends. To make lasting changes in your fentanyl-related behaviors, you must develop your awareness of how addiction works. You must also develop the crucial skills that will help you avoid substance abuse in various daily situations. Duragesic rehab programs are specifically designed for people with fentanyl/opioid problems. By enrolling in them, you optimize your chances for a sustainable short- and long-term recovery.

    Options for Successful Rehab and Recovery

    Successful rehabilitation from prescription drug addiction can occur in one of three places. Most people receive the treatment they need in inpatient rehab facilities. Facilities in this category are residential. Throughout your enrollment, you will live onsite, rather than at home. 

    This residential setup gives doctors and support staff the ability to monitor your mental and physical state at all hours of the day and night. It also makes it easier to make any necessary adjustments in your current treatment plan. In addition, enrollment in inpatient rehab provides 24/7 access to emergency help if you should experience any treatment complications.

    People who experience milder symptoms while going through detox may be able to meet their needs in an outpatient fentanyl rehabilitation program. If you enroll in outpatient care, you’ll remain at home during treatment. On a given number of days per week, you’ll travel to your chosen rehab center for checkups and assessments. Even if you have moderate addiction or withdrawal symptoms, you can sometimes choose outpatient care. This is especially true if you can’t make the time commitment required for inpatient addiction treatment.

    The third possibility for Duragesic rehab or fentanyl rehabilitation is hospitalization. As a rule, only people with severe and/or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms qualify for this option. People who start rehab in hospitals may be transferred to inpatient or outpatient care at a later date.

    Since Duragesic or fentanyl abuse can lead to severe addiction and withdrawal side effects, outpatient care is often not an option. However, unless you also abuse other substances, opioid withdrawal is not typically life-threatening. Taking these two factors into account, it’s probable that inpatient Duragesic rehabilitation is your best option for effective addiction recovery. The presence of a co-occurring disorder also increases the odds that you will need to receive addiction treatment through a residential rehabilitation program.

    Duragesic Treatment Plans

    The standard option for treatment of any form of opioid addiction is a combination of medication and behavior-modifying psychotherapy. The medications used during fentanyl rehab may have any one of several purposes. Like lofexidine, they may help ease the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. You may also receive medication in order to reduce the intensity of any ongoing cravings for opioid use. In addition, your treatment plan may include medication designed to stop opioids from having a drug effect in your brain and body. All three of these approaches help keep you sober and reduce your chances of relapsing back into active substance abuse.

    Buprenorphine and methadone are two of the frontline medications for Duragesic addiction treatment. While it may seem unusual, both of these options also belong to the opioid family of prescription drugs. Buprenorphine is a relatively weak opioid, while methadone has a stronger effect. However, both medications are less powerful than fentanyl (which can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine, the source of all heroin.)

    During fentanyl rehab, substitution of buprenorphine or methadone for Duragesic has some important benefits. First, it allows you to go through detox without going “cold turkey” and triggering severe, withdrawal-related side effects. At the same time, your dose of these prescription drugs won’t be enough to get you “high.” Instead, your controlled intake will limit your opioid cravings and make it possible to stabilize your condition. As you improve, you doctor may gradually taper your medication dosage down to nothing. However, some people continue to receive ongoing, maintenance doses of buprenorphine or methadone.

    The third well-established medication for treatment of Duragesic addiction is naltrexone. This anti-opioid enters your bloodstream and blocks the pathways that normally give opioids their brain-altering powers. With naltrexone in your system, you can’t really get high. For this reason, you’ll have far less motivation for a relapse from Duragesic rehabilitation. You can only safely take naltrexone if you’ve completed opioid detox. Otherwise, the rapid shutoff of opioids’ brain access could lead to the onset of heavy withdrawal symptoms.

    There are several behavioral therapy options shown to support successful Duragesic rehabilitation. One evidence-based method is called motivational interviewing. It uses counseling techniques to help you get clear about your reasons for halting your substance abuse. Another approach, called contingency management, uses a combination of a point system and prizes or vouchers to help you stay motivated and meet your stated addiction treatment goals. A third choice for therapy, called community reinforcement or CRA, relies on similar methods.

    Cognitive behavioral therapy is a fourth option with proven usefulness for fentanyl rehab. This form of treatment aims to help you understand your reasons for getting involved in prescription drug abuse. It also helps you change your daily behaviors and turn away from actions that make abuse more likely to occur. Possible rehabilitation therapies also include 12-step facilitation and family behavior therapy. Depending on your situation, you may receive help in the form of group therapy or individual sessions with your caregiver.

    Identifying Preferred Treatment and Rehab Facilities

    In today’s world, even substandard prescription drug rehab centers may produce impressive advertising for Duragesic rehabilitation. To wade through the static and find a truly effective program, you should focus on certain key areas. First, look for programs that use treatments backed by scientific evidence and recommendations from authorities in the addiction field. The doctors who administer these treatments should have extensive experience treating patients with opioid-related problems.

    Whether you call a hotline or make contact in other ways, rehab programs on your preferred list should offer detailed information on their methods and practices. They should also help resolve any questions you may have about the recovery process.

    No reputable fentanyl rehabilitation program will treat you without first conducting a thorough assessment during intake.This assessment is necessary to make sure your recovery takes place in an appropriate setting. It’s also necessary to help identify any factors that may affect the course of addiction treatment. That includes overlapping mental health issues such as PD, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia-related disorders and depression.

    The best programs enlist you as an active participant in the rehab process. To this end, they explain each step of treatment and listen to your opinions and observations. In addition, top programs for rehabilitation from Duragesic addiction make sure you feel well-supported at all times. That means hiring well-trained secondary staff and maintaining a safe, secure facility. In a best-case scenario, it also means offering holistic services that help you feel like something more than just another addiction patient.

    Only you can make the final call on which treatment program provides the best options for recovery from fentanyl addiction. With a firm understanding of the variables involved, you can choose your rehab destination with confidence. Regardless of your chosen facility, the goal remains the same: sobriety and a return to a lasting, substance-free routine.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • China Promises Tighter Ban On Fentanyl Production

    China Promises Tighter Ban On Fentanyl Production

    Officials are hopeful that this will help curb the amount of fentanyl on the streets in America. 

    China has promised to ban all “fentanyl-related substances,” in a move to appease the Trump administration.

    According to The New York Times, Chinese President Xi Jinping promised the ban during a meeting with President Trump last December.

    Although China had already placed restrictions against fentanyl and related drugs, manufacturers skirted these regulations by tweaking the drugs’ formulations to avoid legal recourse while still supplying a drug with the same effects. 

    The new ban, which takes effect on May 1st, will cover all “fentanyl-related substances.” The law removed the need for Chinese officials to review and ban analogues one by one, replacing it with a sweeping ban. 

    Officials are hopeful that this will help curb the amount of fentanyl on the streets in the United States. 

    “We look forward to our continued collaboration with China to reduce the amount of this deadly poison coming into our country,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spokeswoman Mary Brandenberger.

    However, other officials caution that Chinese drug manufacturers can still produce the precursors of fentanyl, which can then be shipped to Mexico and assembled by cartels before being smuggled into the United States. 

    In announcing the ban, Chinese officials insisted that China’s contribution to the American fentanyl problem is “extremely limited.” 

    “We believe that the United States is the main cause of the problem of the abuse of fentanyl in the United States,” said vice commissioner of the National Narcotics Control Commission Liu Yuejin.

    Amid trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the fentanyl policy change may signal an olive branch rather than a tough intervention. Robert Lighthizer, a trade negotiator for the Trump administration, had previously said that he would try to get a commitment from China to crack down on fentanyl production. 

    University of California researcher Dr. Daniel Ciccarone said that the move may be a way for Chinese officials to claim they are cracking down, without actually having much of a real-world difference. 

    “Do they have the capacity?” he said. “Or will they, like U.S. regulatory agencies often do, brag about the ‘one they got’ while whitewashing the ones that got away?”

    Ciccarone added that it’s hard to intercept fentanyl shipments because the drug is shipped in much smaller quantities than cocaine or marijuana, making it difficult to detect. 

    He said, “Stopping production and shipping of a much smaller-volume drug is wishing big.”

    Still, he said, with fentanyl killing tens of thousands of Americans each year, the Chinese ban is a step in the right direction. 

    “This effort is worthwhile even if it has a small chance of success,” he said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Naloxone-Based Antidote For Fentanyl, Synthetic Opioids Is In Development

    Naloxone-Based Antidote For Fentanyl, Synthetic Opioids Is In Development

    The naloxone-based antidote has already shown promise in tests involving animal subjects.

    The opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone, or Narcan, has proven useful in preventing fatalities from the use of heroin or prescription opioids.

    But its duration in the human body – about 30 to 60 minutes – is less effective in countering the effects of powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which can remain in an individual’s system for hours and may require multiple doses of naloxone.

    But researchers have begun work on a naloxone-based antidote that may outlast synthetic opioids, and which has already shown promise in tests involving animal subjects.

    The results of the test were presented in Orlando, Florida at a meeting of the American Chemical Society on March 31, 2019; there, researchers from Duquesne University, the Allegency Health Network Research Institute and the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center showcased their development of a naloxone-based antidote that used microscopic particles called nanoparticles to deliver a combination of naloxone molecules and a biodegradable polymer, or plastic, called polyactic acid.

    As Science News noted, once introduced to an individual’s system, water and enzymes in the body dissolve the nanoparticles and slowly release the naloxone.

    According to the researchers, a single dose using this delivery system proved effective in countering the effects of morphine in tests involving mice for up to 96 hours. 

    Reseacher Saadyah Averick of the Allegheny Health Network Research was quoted as saying that the next phase of testing will involve actual synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and carfentanil, as well as increased testing to determine if the antidote can prevent a test animal from undergoing overdose. 

    Data from the National Vital Statistic System’s record of all U.S.-based deaths found that overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids had surpassed overdose fatalities caused by prescription opioids.

    A study published in the May 1, 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that of the 42,249 opioid-related deaths in 2016, 19,413 involved synthetic opioids, while 17,087 were due to prescription opioids and 15,469.

    More than 79% of synthetic opioid deaths also involved another drug or alcohol, with another opioid and heroin listed as the most commonly co-involved substances (47.9% and 29.8%, respectively).

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • White House Says Fentanyl Is Turning Up In Marijuana, Experts Say It's Fake News

    White House Says Fentanyl Is Turning Up In Marijuana, Experts Say It's Fake News

    “This is part of a wider fentanyl panic that goes beyond having alternative facts [and] leads to bad decisions,” says one drug policy expert.

    The White House and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) are leading Americans to believe that there is a real risk of marijuana users accidentally consuming fentanyl, say drug policy experts.

    White House counselor Kellyanne Conway used a news briefing last week to announce that illicit fentanyl is turning up in many drugs—including marijuana.

    “People are unwittingly ingesting it,” Conway said. “It’s laced into heroin, marijuana, meth, cocaine, and it’s also just being distributed by itself.”

    Drug policy and public health experts disagreed. “This is part of a wider fentanyl panic that goes beyond having alternative facts [and] leads to bad decisions,” Northeastern University drug policy expert Leo Beletsky told BuzzFeed News.

    “It’s crazy that this story is coming out from our leaders,” epidemiologist Dan Ciccarone of the University of California, San Francisco, told BuzzFeed News. “It shows that concerns about fentanyl have reached the level of moral panic. Fear outweighs rational evidence. There is scant evidence for cannabis laced with fentanyl.”

    Jill Head, a senior chemist at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), stated at a National Drug Early Warning System briefing that no marijuana laced with fentanyl has been found.

    What has been called “fentanyl hysteria” is based on the fact that fentanyl is deadly in small amounts, and when it is added to other drugs the user often does not know they are ingesting it, or how much.

    As illicit fentanyl is mixed with other drugs in non-clinical settings, it is near impossible to evenly distribute. People using the same supply might get wildly different doses of the same drug.

    Incorrect information on fentanyl and marijuana has come partly from police reports that show data from ultra-sensitive test strips that can detect fentanyl at concentrations as low as one-billionth of a gram. As BuzzFeed notes, it’s not a stretch for trace amounts of fentanyl to be detected in marijuana handled by people who sell or use many kinds of illicit drugs. 

    And synthetic cannabinoids (known as K2 or spice), which are chemicals sprayed onto plant matter, can be incorrectly reported as marijuana. This occurred in Connecticut where 71 people overdosed in one day. News outlets speculated that the synthetic marijuana was laced with fentanyl.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • California Jail Guards Get Narcan After Possible Fentanyl Exposure

    California Jail Guards Get Narcan After Possible Fentanyl Exposure

    This is not the first time that an officer has been hospitalized or received Narcan after being exposed to fentanyl.

    Two guards at a California jail were given Narcan and taken to the hospital after they began showing symptoms of opioid exposure. 

    According to SF Gate, guards at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin searched a woman who was being booked in the jail. They found a black substance on the woman, but could not identify the drug. They examined it closely trying to discern what type of drug it was, while wearing gloves. 

    However, after the examination was complete, one officer began feeling sick and showing signs of confusion. Soon after, the other officer complained of sickness as well. The staff at the jail suspected that the pair had been exposed to an opioid, and administered Narcan before transporting them to the hospital. 

    First responders and law enforcement officials have been warned about the dangers of accidental fentanyl overdose, and this is not the first time that an officer has been hospitalized or received Narcan after being exposed to the drugs. 

    “The presence of [synthetic opioids] poses a significant threat to first responders and law enforcement personnel who may come in contact with this substance. In any situation where any fentanyl-related substance, such as carfentanil, might be present, law enforcement should carefully follow safety protocols to avoid accidental exposure,” the Drug Enforcement Administration said in an officer safety alert issued last year. 

    However, some research indicates that it is unlikely that first responders or others could accidentally overdose on even the most powerful synthetic opioids by touching the substance. 

    “I would say it’s extraordinarily improbable that a first responder would be poisoned by an ultra-potent opioid,” Dr. David Juurlink, a researcher at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, told The New York Times. “I don’t say it can’t happen. But for it to happen would require extraordinary circumstances, and those extraordinary circumstances would be very hard to achieve.”

    According to Vox, reports have shown that fentanyl is not easily absorbed through the skin, so accidental overdose is very unlikely. In one video by harm reduction advocate Chad Sabora, he tries to dispel this myth. 

    Some people believe that the reports of first responders being harmed by exposure to synthetic opioids can trigger a type of placebo effect. That may have been the case with Scottie Wightman, a Kentucky emergency medical technician who became unresponsive after one call. Wightman was treated with Narcan and was seemingly revived, but drug tests later showed there were no drugs in his system. 

    Jeremy S. Faust, an emergency room doctor in Boston, emphasized that first responders shouldn’t let fear of opioid exposure deter the care they give to the public. 

    “I want to tell first responders, Look, you’re safe,” he said. “You can touch these people. You can interact with them. You can go on and do the heroic lifesaving work that you do for anyone else.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Dramatic Rise In Fentanyl Deaths Marks Third Wave Of Opioid Crisis

    Dramatic Rise In Fentanyl Deaths Marks Third Wave Of Opioid Crisis

    From 2011 to 2016, Black Americans experienced the sharpest rise in fentanyl-related deaths with a 141% increase.

    Fentanyl overdose rates have been rising at very sharp rates among minorities, including African Americans and Hispanic Americans, according to new data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

    The data looked at fentanyl overdose rates between 2011 and 2016. Researchers found that the fentanyl overdose rate for African Americans rose the fastest out of any ethnic group—increasing, on average, 141% each year.

    Hispanic Americans also showed a dramatic increase of 118% each year. Non-Hispanic whites saw their rates of fentanyl overdoses increase 61% each year, on average. 

    African Americans and Hispanic Americans still have lower overdose rates overall—5.6 and 2.5 deaths per 100,000 respectively. Whites, by comparison, continue to have the highest fentanyl overdose rates at 7.7 deaths per 100,000.

    However, lead study author, Merianne Rose Spencer, said it’s important to note that the overdose rate for Black Americans is rising at more than double the rate of white Americans, according to The Washington Post. 

    Overall, the data showed shocking increases in fentanyl overdoses in all demographics. 

    “Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2013, the number of deaths increased every quarter. From 2013 through 2014, the death rate more than doubled, nearly doubled again from 2014 through 2015, and more than doubled again from 2015 through 2016,” report authors wrote. 

    The CDC’s mortality statistics branch’s chief, Robert Anderson, said that the severity of the fentanyl overdose crisis is clear. “We’re seeing it across the board,” he said.

    The rate of overdose accelerated in 2014, when, according to Ohio Senator Rob Portman, fentanyl “came on with a vengeance.” “We were making progress, starting to get this stuff in the right direction, and the fentanyl just overwhelmed the systems,” he said this week. 

    Although the recently released data didn’t cover 2017 or 2018, there are indications that the pace of increase of overdoses has slowed in the last two years. Preliminary numbers show that 70,424 died by August of 2018, compared with 72,287 deaths by November of 2017. 

    Anderson said the numbers suggest that the rate has plateaued, but is not yet truly reversing. “We would look at that and say that’s pretty flat. We’d be reluctant to call it a real decline,” he said.

    Still, Portman said that the numbers show a step in the right direction, particularly after a long period of dramatic increases. 

    “It is a very significant story that for the first time in eight years we’re not seeing an increase in overdose deaths,” he said. “We feel like it’s still unacceptably high, but we’re cautiously optimistic that we’ve finally turned the corner after eight years.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Fentanyl Disguised As Oxycodone Seized In Ohio

    Fentanyl Disguised As Oxycodone Seized In Ohio

    Ohio officials are warning those who buy pills on the street to exercise caution.

    Authorities in Ohio are warning drug users to be extra cautious, after law enforcement in the state seized fentanyl that had been pressed into pills meant to resemble oxycodone, which were to be sold on the street. 

    The Community Overdose Action Team, which focuses on reducing opioid-related deaths in Montgomery County, Ohio, said in a statement reported by the Dayton Daily News that drug users need to realize the dangers of fentanyl. 

    “The Community Overdose Action Team reminds you that any illegal drug you purchase and use could contain fentanyl,” the statement read. “Fentanyl is a highly potent drug which greatly increases your chance of an overdose. It is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.” 

    The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Range Task Force and Dayton police also warned people that fentanyl is becoming widespread in Ohio’s drug supply.

    Christine Ton, media director for the sheriff’s office, said that the blue pills even have the markings of oxycodone. Some people get the pills thinking they’re buying Oxycontin, while others seek out the fentanyl pills for a powerful, cheap high. 

    “It is more potent than heroin and cheaper to buy,” Ton said.

    She added that the department seizes all varieties of drugs, not just opioids. “We routinely see meth, fentanyl, marijuana and are also running across cocaine. Crack and heroin are also located frequently.”

    Benjamin Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said that his office is aggressively going after fentanyl-related cases as the drug becomes more prevalent. 

    “We are prosecuting more and more fentanyl-related narcotics-trafficking cases, both in Dayton and district-wide,” he said. “Fentanyl and its analogs are incredibly dangerous and are at the heart of the overdoses and deaths plaguing our region.”

    Recently, The Washington Post reported that public health officials had pressured the Obama administration to declare fentanyl a national health emergency as far back as 2016, but the administration did not act. John P. Walters, who served as chief of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy between 2001 and 2009, said this likely contributed to the ever-increasing rate of fentanyl overdoses.

    “This is a massive institutional failure, and I don’t think people have come to grips with it,” said Walters. “This is like an absurd bad dream and we don’t know how to intervene or how to save lives.”

    Derek Maltz, former agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division in Washington, agreed that it was a missed opportunity to save lives. 

    “Fentanyl was killing people like we’d never seen before. A red light was going off, ding, ding, ding. This is something brand new. What the hell is going on? We needed a serious sense of urgency.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Report: Fentanyl Distribution Mishandled By Drug Companies, Feds

    Report: Fentanyl Distribution Mishandled By Drug Companies, Feds

    Nearly half of all patients who were prescribed fentanyl should have been denied the drug, according to a new report.

    A report published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is alleging widespread failure to keep the extremely potent opioid fentanyl out of the hands of patients who were ineligible to receive it.

    Using the Freedom of Information Act, researchers obtained around 5,000 pages of documents from the US government that they say show that nearly half of all patients who were prescribed fentanyl should have been denied the drug.

    Fentanyl is a relatively new opioid painkiller that is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. It is meant only for patients experiencing severe pain, including “breakthrough” pain so bad that opioids such as OxyContin or even morphine cannot control, and who have already developed a tolerance to these drugs. Without an established tolerance to opioids, taking fentanyl presents a high risk of overdose due to its extreme potency.

    Due to the dangers of fentanyl, the US government has established a strict protocol that was supposed to prevent anyone other than opioid-tolerant patients with severe pain, such as cancer patients, from being prescribed this drug.

    The researchers of this new report claim that this protocol has not been followed across the system, implicating the Food and Drug Administration, drug companies, and doctors.

    “The whole purpose of this distribution system was to prevent exactly what we found,” said study leader and co-director of the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness at Johns Hopkins Caleb Alexander. “It should never happen. It’s a never event. And yet we found it was happening in 50% [of cases reviewed].”

    According to the report, between 34.6% and 55.4% of patients surveyed who were given fentanyl were “opioid-nontolerant.” Researchers also found that a substantial amount of pharmacists and drug prescribers (7.9% and 11.6%, respectively) reported believing that they were allowed to give fentanyl to patients who had not developed a tolerance to opioids 12 months after the protocol was put in place.

    This number increased as time went on, reaching 18.4% among prescribers and close to 50% among patients.

    In spite of this, no substantial changes were made to the protocol by the FDA.

    “What we found was that several years after the program was started, there were alarming deficiencies identified, and yet little was done by the FDA and drug manufacturers to effectively address these problems,” said Alexander.

    Researchers and addiction experts are finding that fentanyl has played a large role in the opioid epidemic. A 2018 study found that deaths related to fentanyl use increased by 520% from 2009 to 2016, while deaths from other prescription opioids increased by 18% in the same time frame.

    The fentanyl deaths were primarily from illicit use, but the high rates of death from fentanyl overdose demonstrate just how dangerous the drug is to those who are not approved for its use.

    “These drugs are dangerous enough, they should never be used in patients who aren’t already on around-the-clock opioids,” said Alexander.

    View the original article at thefix.com