La crise des opioïdes synthétiques aux États-Unis sert d’avertissement pour le monde, affirme l’ONU

Le fentanyl, qui est 50 à 100 fois plus puissant que la morphine, a récemment été lié à la mort de 60 personnes au Royaume-Uni et un nombre croissant de morts sont provoquées par cette drogue en Australie. Pour en savoir plus, en Anglais, veuillez lire les informations ci-dessous.

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By Amanda Holpuch

Efforts to combat the opioid addiction crisis in the US have been weakened by the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which a top UN drug official has warned could infiltrate Europe and Australia in a similar way.

“Other countries with opiate problems should be concerned because fentanyl could quickly be pushed into their supply,” Jeremy Douglas, regional representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to Southeast Asia and the Pacific, told the Guardian.

Fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, was recently tied to the deaths of 60 people in the UK and there have been a growing number of deaths from the drug in Australia, Douglas said.

Fentanyl presents a lucrative business opportunity for drug traffickers because it is incredibly powerful in small amounts and is easy to produce. Since fall 2013, fentanyl has contributed to more than 5,000 overdose deaths in the US – including the musician Prince, whose death in 2016 was caused by “self-administered fentanyl”. From 2009 to 2014, it contributed to at least 655 deaths in Canada.

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Thumbnail Flickr CC Jeff Anderson