Fentanyl: Indiscriminate use makes it the drug that kills the most in the United States

Fentanyl: Indiscriminate use makes it the drug that kills the most in the United States


The seizure of synthetic opioids in Brazil has been recorded for the first time and the fact worries the authorities

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The drug that kills the most in the United States was first seized by drug dealers in Brazil. Derived from morphine, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that, when used legally, serves as an anesthetic for surgery, but indiscriminate use of the drug can lead to death.

According to a report by Fantasticfrom the Globe TV, which aired last Sunday, 19, the arrest took place for the first time in Brazil and was carried out by the Civil Police of Espírito Santo. The action caught the attention of US law enforcement, as fentanyl overdose has become a major problem in the United States.

After the drug was found with Brazilian traffickers, two American agents went to Espírito Santo to monitor the investigation. According to the police, the owner of the drug is not a dealer who dominates outlets on the outskirts of cities, but a supplier to that dealer. The investigation also points out that fentanyl could be used to “christen” other drugs.

According to physician Jedson Nascimento, director of Professional Defense at the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology, the indiscriminate use of fentanyl –when not used by a professional and in a therapeutic way– can cause death and, not surprisingly, if it becomes one of the deadliest drugs in the United States.

According to the doctor, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid derived from morphine that has a therapeutic effect and has been used worldwide since 1970, the same period in which problems related to addiction and illicit use of the drug began to be discussed.

“Unscrupulous individuals have begun to use or come in contact with this drug illegally, because it is a drug for controlled use, like morphine. And every time there is an illegality appeal, there is a demonized view of a drug” , explains the doctor, who regrets the demonization of medicine. “It’s a shame that’s happening, because it’s a commonly used drug. It’s been used for many years, and right now, we’re going to continue to use fentanyl, because it has its uses.”

Nascimento says the drug should always be handled by a doctor, as adverse effects can be fatal. “When used indiscriminately, it is a drug that causes respiratory depression. That is, if you take the drug, you can stop breathing and even trigger brain death. The big problem with opioids, especially fentanyl, is that it causes respiratory arrest There are people who die sleeping, without breathing, it’s called an overdose.

Fentanyl is often used in cardiac surgery, for example, where it is necessary to open the patient’s chest and make the heart stop for a while. “This individual wakes up as if nothing had happened because several drugs have contributed to him entering an eligible state or a vegetative state and the individual is not in pain during this time. One of the drugs used is fentanyl,” exemplifies the doctor.

Used correctly, as Nascimento points out, fentanyl is not harmful to health. The doctor also defends that there is no demonization of the drug due to misuse by people who end up gaining access to fentanyl without proper authorization.

“The problem is that any opioid-derived drug has a risk of addiction [vício]. So it is one thing for the individual to use it for addiction, and another thing for therapeutic use. We cannot demonize drugs for therapeutic use, but we must fight the illicit use of drugs. The illicit use of fentanyl has been discussed since the 1970s. Today there is a real epidemic of fentanyl and that is why it has attracted attention. But that’s it, if you use the drug correctly, there will be no problems, ”he concludes.

Source: Terra

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