In recent weeks, different media outlets have reported the presence in the clandestine trade of a drug, which is being distributed by criminal gangs. Although government officials indicate that there is no data on its massive distribution in the country, it is important to know what risks people are exposed to when consuming this drug.
We are referring to Fentanyl, called the “zombie drug” and whose use is wide in the clinical area of both humans and animals. It is a powerful synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin as a pain reliever. In our country, this drug is subject to the Law on the Control of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs, which regulates, among other things, the prescription and use of this type of product.
The evolution of the marketing of drugs for clinical use for non-therapeutic purposes is not unknown. Thus, for example, Ketamine is used to manufacture Tusi, whose consumption has been increasing in the young population. However, the consumption of these products is not harmless and the harmful effects on health are probably unknown or minimized by those who market them and also by those who use them for recreational purposes.
Like other opioid analgesics, Fentanyl produces effects such as: relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, pupillary constriction and respiratory depression. Those who consume it in a “recreational” way do so looking for pleasurable sensations mediated by the release of Dopamine that this drug induces. In this way, the person who consumes fentanyl will see their anxiety reduced and will be able to have states of great well-being, which translates from a greater feeling of calm to extreme happiness.
This description does not seem to be associated with any deleterious health effects, however, Fentanyl has a half-life of 7 hours, which means that only at the end of that period of time will the concentration of the drug have decreased to half its value. initial (dose). Furthermore, when it is illegally manufactured, it is usually mixed with other products such as cocaine; Therefore, it is possible that adverse effects of varying complexity may occur, such as tolerance, addiction, respiratory depression or respiratory arrest, loss of consciousness, coma, and death.
Therefore, it is tremendously important to do everything that can be done to prevent drug use, and to inform the population of the risks involved in the use of any drug for non-therapeutic purposes.
Source : El Heraldo Austral
