Increase in Europe: Interpol warns against fentanyl consumption

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“Even small amounts of this drug can be fatal for users, but at the same time very profitable for the criminal networks behind its distribution,” he told “Welt am Sonntag”.

Interpol recently conducted the first global law enforcement investigation into fentanyl. Initial findings showed that the drug and similar substances “are distributed or produced in all parts of the world, including Europe.” This included illegal and medicinal fentanyl in the form of powder, patches, tablets and liquids.

50 times more powerful than heroin

Even if current seizures in Europe are “nowhere near” the amounts in North America, they should “raise concerns among law enforcement and health authorities due to the high addictive potential,” Stock said.

Fentanyl is a strong painkiller that is used by cancer patients, among others, but is also traded illegally. The synthetic opioid is 50 times more powerful than heroin. Because chemicals are primarily manufactured in China, they are often produced in Mexico and smuggled from there into the US. In the US, approximately 100,000 people die every year from a fentanyl overdose.

Drug agents also concerned in Switzerland

According to experts, the starting point of the fentanyl crisis in the US and Canada was the overprescription of strong painkillers. According to experts, countries in Europe are much more cautious. In Switzerland, doctors recently saw no signs of a fentanyl surge in Switzerland.

However, drug officials fear that heroin users will increasingly turn to fentanyl, which is cheaper and far more dangerous. They advocate more accessible offers for consumers, including drug checks, rapid testing in drug rooms and the use of the emergency medication naloxone, which even medical laymen can administer.

(SDA)

Source: Blick