THE US’ OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications.
Outreach groups said fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, has saturated the drug supply.
“Fentanyl is in the powdered cocaine, the crack cocaine, it’s in the compressed pills and it’s in the heroin,” said Mr Hiawatha Collins, community and capacity building manager at the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
“Now, the danger is you have added Xylazine to that mix which, if people don’t know, is an animal tranquiliser not meant for human consumption.”
Many critics blame major pharmaceutical companies and some doctors overprescribing prescription painkillers for contributing to the country’s opioid epidemic.
Source: CNA
