Fentanyl deaths cross the US border

Deaths from fentanyl overdose continue to rise despite efforts by authorities to try to curb the production and trafficking of this potent synthetic drug.

And it is that, although it is known that the problem starts from the export of chemical precursors that are sent from China to supply the Mexican cartels, and their subsequent process to convert them into the fentanyl that floods the streets of the United States, it's no longer a problem limited to those three nations.

Now the synthetic drug has crossed the border and is wreaking havoc in Canada, where an average of 20 people a day die from overdoses over the past year.

This is revealed by a report recently released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), which reveals that 7,328 people lost their lives in the country in 2022 due to overdoses, and 81% of deaths were linked to the fentanyl, a synthetic drug 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Likewise, the federal agency in charge of responding to medical emergencies estimates that every three months and between now and the end of the year, between 1,430 and 2,320 people can die from drug use, according to EFE.

The agency said Canada's opioid crisis is being fueled by social and economic factors, as well as fentanyl's elevated toxicity.

“This includes experiences of trauma, racism and discrimination, as well as access issues fair to health care, housing, employment and other social services”, PHAC explained in a statement.

Even this situation has already been addressed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC ),through a report published a few days ago in Vienna.

The document points out that fentanyl is behind the increase in overdose deaths suffered by Canada and, especially, the United States, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is transforming drug markets in North America, contributing to high levels of overdose among users,” the analysis warns.