The recent surge in drug overdose deaths shocked even some of the most jaded observers of American addiction: 100,306 dead from April 2020 to April 2021, the first time the toll topped six figures in a 12-month period, according to provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics. New data released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) point to one potential culprit: illegally manufactured fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be 50 times more potent than heroin. When used legally, with a doctor’s prescription, this class of drugs is meant to help people experiencing severe pain caused by cancer and other ailments.
Illicit fentanyl first appeared as a replacement or adulterant for white powder heroin in the eastern U.S, but it’s increasingly spreading throughout the country, according to the new data. It’s reaching more illegal drug users, including users of other drugs as its mixed in with stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as users of more traditional opioids in parts of the U.S. where fentanyl has not previously been common.
