OfChronicle editorial staff
Umbria, the synthetic substance is 80 times more powerful than morphine: the health risks. The national plan and the note to the Regions. Canton: now an investigation
For the first time in Italy the Fentanyl — the synthetic opioid 80 times more potent than morphine — was found in one dose of heroin in Perugia. The authorities’ concern is that it could spread like cutting substance. The Department for Anti-Drug Policies — together with the Ministry of Health — has taken action the “National Prevention Plan” is operational against the improper use of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids” presented on March 12.
The national plan and the note to the Regions
A note has been sent to all regional health departments to urge the structures dealing with addictions to «inform people who use substances of the very serious health risks (of Fentanyl, ed )”. The police forces and all the competent administrations have also been alerted to strengthen the territorial monitoring network and increase attention in all potentially exposed sectors.
The alarm in the United States
In the United States it is a real epidemic over 100 thousand deaths per year. In Italy the Fentanyl alarm was triggered after the analysis of a dose of heroin sold in Perugia: it contained 5% of the dangerous substance. The national rapid alert system coordinated by the Department for Anti-Drug Policies has been activated for this reason: all the Regions have been alerted to urge the structures that deal with addictions toInform people who use substances of the very serious risks. The new national prevention plan against the improper use of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids was therefore put into motion.
«Zombie drug»
The Plan was presented last March 12 by the undersecretary to the Prime Minister, Alfredo Mantovano. «This substance – he said on that occasion – is said zombie drug, because it turns users into walking monsters.” That is to say: «It has an analgesic effect but outside these health circuits it is replacing heroin and can cause death after suffocation. It’s low cost, a little goes a long way. In Italy there is no emergency, but there is in the USA and since there are no insurmountable borders it is best not to find yourself discovered.”
The G7 plan
The fight against Fentanyl has been placed on the G7 agenda by the Italian presidency. In a joint declaration, the 7 leaders – on the initiative of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – committed to “leading efforts at the international level to stamp out drug trafficking (in particular synthetic ones with particularly devastating effects such as Fentanyl)”. According to American government agencies, China encourages the production of precursors of the dangerous opioid with a series of tax breaks for companies. So a Washington-Beijing negotiations on the dossier which is very dear to the US administration.
The Italian case
Returning to the episode that triggered the alert in Italy, it concerns a minimum amount of the powerful analgesic found during a random check carried out in recent weeks by the staff of a social cooperative on a dose of “street” heroin , as it is defined by the Ministry of Health, sold in Perugia: heroin was present for 50%, then there was also codeine (30%) and diazepam (15%) as well as 5% Fentanyl. If in the last six years the police forces have seized a total of 123 grams, 28 tablets and 41 other packages of the substance, it is the first time that its presence has been recorded in a dose of heroin. Hence the alarm against the possible spread of its use as a cutting substance. The prosecutor of Perugia, Raffaele Cantone, announcing the opening of the investigation stated: «I am worried about what is emerging in these hours and I want to try to understand if it is a sporadic event or if there are similar episodes”.
May 1, 2024 (modified May 1, 2024 | 12:52)
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