Texas warns of historic rise in fentanyl deaths

The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has warned about the danger posed by fentanyl to American society. According to health authorities, between 2021 and 2022 more than 100,000 people lost their lives to this and other synthetic opioids. Abbot sent a warning message to the public about the danger that this drug represents for families:

"Parents: your children go to parties, there are pills there and they are distributed. Educate them about the dangers."

The governor has also warned that in the last year more than 13.000 pounds of narcotics have been tested at the DPS lab and blamed President Joe Biden for his refusal to tighten border security. He asserted that the increased immigration flow encourages more routes for drug trafficking across the border. "They come in across the border, but they don't stay in border counties, they come in even more."

A drug that causes nearly 300 deaths a day

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, 50 times more potent than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine, making it an extremely dangerous drug. It can be administered as an injection, through a patch placed on a person's skin, or as cough tablets.

It is also used as a pain medication. Fentanyl, in therapeutic doses, increases dopamine levels in the central nervous system, leading to relief and feelings of relaxation, but when consumed as an uncontrolled drug, even a very small dose can be lethal. According to the DEA, like other opioid analgesics, fentanyl produces effects such as euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction and respiratory depression.

Anti-drug trafficking operations

Statistics show the seriousness of the issue: fentanyl is responsible for 66% of overdose deaths. Authorities warn that cartels produce pills similar to the brands vicodin, xanax and adderall. They add fentanyl to them to increase their potency and reduce their production costs, creating a public health problem.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) leads the fight against drugs on a daily basis. One million fentanyl pills were seized in the city of Inglewood, California, from drugs belonging to the Sinaloa Cartel, who were trying to sell them on the streets for an estimated value of 20 million dollars.