world

Recently, VOA reported that the illicit purchase and use of fentanyl is becoming a serious social problem at home.

Following is the main content of the report:

Fentanyl, a potent narcotic analgesic of compound opioid series, was developed to alleviate pain of patients suffering from severe pains including terminal cancer.

Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine, a typical anodyne, and even a minimum dosage can be fatal. But it is in widespread use across the society as it is cheaper than any other conventional drugs and also easy to purchase on the internet.

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021 more than 70 000 people died from overdose of compound opioids and 107 000-odd people died of drug misuse. And 70% of them died of addiction to fentanyl.

The CDC estimated that the number of people dying from potent drug addiction such as fentanyl will continue to increase unless an immediate measure is taken against illicit drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported as follows:

Thousands of babies are born each year and some of them are influenced by their mothers who are addicted to potent drugs like fentanyl and opioids and experience withdrawal symptoms including irritability and rapid breathing.

Truveta, a US healthcare-data company, argued that the rate of drug use by women has rapidly increased over the last few years due to the prevalence of illicit drug markets in the country. As a result, about six in 1 000 babies have been born drug-dependent in each year since 2017 and the number is increasing continuously.

The 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicated that nearly 8% of pregnant women among 60 000 respondents had used illicit drugs and some of them had taken illicit opioids periodically.

In this regard, a researcher specializing in obstetrics, gynecology and psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia said that until 2009 the rate of babies born drug-dependent was only half compared to the present and expressed concern over the continuous increase in number of women using potent drugs like fentanyl.

Many states of the US demand that mothers who test positive for opioids be reported to child services, but such policy is not very helpful and illicit drug use is becoming rampant in the country, said an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina.

The above data vividly show the reality of the US writhing in drug addiction.