The alert rises for new reports of Fentanyl in Italy. A month and a half after the presentation of the National Prevention Plan against the improper use of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, a note from the Prevention Directorate of the Ministry of Health raises the alert to ‘Grade 3’ after “the identification of Fentanyl in street heroin in Perugia“, certified by the analyzes conducted immediately afterwards. “The analytical results received on 24 April 2024 identified Fentanyl (5%), heroin (50%), codeine (30%) and diazepam (15%) in the sample”, reports the notes that warns the Regions, the Serds and the accredited and authorized therapeutic communities to “inform people who use substances of the very serious health risks deriving from taking Fentanyl”.
“The Higher Institute of Health (National Center for Addiction and Doping) also reports that the investigation is ongoing and the information contained in this alert is provisional and may therefore be subject to changes. The improper sale or adulteration of heroin with Fentanyl and/or its analogues occurs sporadically and usually without warning in Europe. Such events can cause potentially lethal intoxications that can manifest themselves as mass intoxication phenomena“, recalls the note.
The national plan against the improper use of Fentanyl, presented on 12 March by the undersecretary to the Prime Minister, Alfredo Mantovano, in the presence of the ministers of Health, Orazio Schillaci, of Education and merit, Giuseppe Valditara, and of Sport and young people, Andrea Abodi, reiterated the need to prevent the spread in Italy of this “powerful synthetic opioid with analgesic and anesthetic use, which It has similar effects to morphine, but is 50 to 100 times more powerful than the latter and 30-50 times more potent than heroin”.
In Italy, between 2018 and 2023, “police activities led to the seizure of 123.17 grams of powdered Fentanyl (considering that acute intoxication can occur with approximately 3 milligrams, this amount could cause thousands of cases), 28 doses in tablets and 37 other packages (patches, bottles and medicinal boxes)”, highlights the plan.
The Minister of Health, Orazio Schillaci, at the presentation of the ‘National Prevention Plan against the improper use of Fentanyl and other synthetic opiates’ at Palazzo Chigi, he stated that “the diffusion and distorted use of Fentanyl represent a danger for the protection and safeguarding of public health The ever-increasing consumption abroad, the possibility of obtaining it without great difficulty, the fact that even extremely small doses can be potentially lethal, require the adoption of strategies to prevent and combat personal consumption, distribution and dealing in the territory. “.
“The battle against Fentanyl is not easy. It goes without saying that intelligence indicates a certain elasticity and readiness of Italian criminal associations, in particular the ‘Ndrangheta, to implement this substance. Even if they are still testing the market at the moment to verify the convenience of its inclusion”, said the undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council Alfredo Mantovano for his part, presenting the Plan.
“The monitoring and control actions of the distribution and administration of Fentanyl will be strengthened to avoid its use for non-health purposes: stringent alert systems will be set up to be activated in the event of anomalous prescriptions, checks by the Carabinieri and the NAS on the distribution of the drug on the national territory and implemented the security measures of the places where the substance is stored to avoid its undue theft. This means – concluded Schillaci – intensifying controls to avoid possible thefts. The ministry is alerting Regions and pharmacies to provide the maximum attention and to guarantee the correct storage of the medicine”.
