MAGNIFICENT MERCOLA: Drug Trafficking, Sex Trafficking and Fentanyl-Related Teen Deaths Triple in Three Years
Story at-a-glance
- 84% of all teen overdose deaths in 2021 were related to fentanyl
- Fentanyl-related adolescent overdose deaths nearly tripled between 2019 and 2021, and a quarter of those deaths involved counterfeit drugs — pills like valium, Xanax or Percocet, often obtained from friends or bought through social media
- Fentanyl is an incredibly potent synthetic opioid. It's 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just 2 milligrams, equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, can be lethal
- Having the right tools, such as fentanyl test strips and Narcan (naloxone) in your home or school medical kit can also save lives. Never buy fentanyl tests from friends or online. Always get them from your local health department or a trusted community organization, such as addiction recovery programs, as counterfeit tests are in circulation. Also make sure they're legal to obtain in your state
- Drug makers are now working on anti-opioid vaccines, one for heroin, one for oxycodone and one for fentanyl. The fentanyl vaccine is said to work by preventing the drug from entering the brain, thus eliminating the "high" users experience, as well as the risk of respiratory depression. The other vaccines work on the same premise