"America's public enemy No. 1 is drug abuse. The war on drugs starts in the early '70s. At that time, annually, there were roughly 7,000 drug overdose deaths. Subsequently, that number completely explodes."
"Fentanyl is the first example, but it's essentially a subset of what we know as novel psychoactive substances. They are often lethal. A 19-year-old in Chicago was found deceased after taking what he thought was Percocet, but it was a synthetic cannabinoid several times more potent than fentanyl."
"We create what is essentially a digital record, a chemical fingerprint, if you will. But then there's the interpretation. We need to understand the pharmacology of it, the potency of it, to understand how these substances can affect humans."
"One way to appreciate the magnitude of the problem is to see how easy it is to change these molecules. This is MDMA and these are all being manufactured to really elicit similar responses."
Overdose rates in the United States have dramatically increased due to the rise of synthetic drugs, particularly novel psychoactive substances. The war on drugs, initiated in the 1970s, has not curbed this issue, as overdose deaths have surged from 7,000 annually to alarming levels. Fentanyl exemplifies this problem, with synthetic cannabinoids being even more potent. The ease of modifying drug molecules and the sharing of information among users and suppliers contribute to the ongoing crisis, complicating efforts to combat drug abuse effectively.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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