Fentanyl deaths

[Dave Gray]

I don’t think this goes far enough. It lays blame on Mexico but the precursor agents come from China- their retaliation against the west for the opium wars

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/20/opinions/fentanyl-killing-shocking-number-of-young-americans-ernst-kaine/index.html

China and to some extent India are responsible for meth. Seems like a destabilization effort.

[TerryLL]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

Could be as simple as the criminal cartels cashing in on the new money drug. State politics might have nothing to do with it, except for the well-greased palms that encourage officials to look the other way.

I also have to wonder how many of these deaths are accidental. A street person, with no hope of betterment, no hope of attaining even a semblance of the American dream, might find an extra tab or two the easy solution.

[LeeG]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

I don’t think this goes far enough. It lays blame on Mexico but the precursor agents come from China- their retaliation against the west for the opium wars

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/20/opinions/fentanyl-killing-shocking-number-of-young-americans-ernst-kaine/index.html

China and to some extent India are responsible for meth. Seems like a destabilization effort.

Nothing simpler than laying blame on foreign actors or more misguided than militarizing a drug policy.

The DoD has a role to play in curbing the crisis. It’s time to put the Pentagon’s tools to use and save lives.

But the military does get a lot of money so maybe they an take over public health problems, with guns and armor.

[Tom from Rubicon]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

A welder I worked with, that I though was pulling it together OD'ed on a weekend a few years ago. He went from didn't care. To calling me out on the floor to trouble shoot and adjust the welding fixtures to make accurate weldments. Then dead. Left two children and a equally damaged wife. They had an argument and OD'ed but was revived. Next day Dummkopf does him self. I felt bad for who he left behind.

Tom

[skuthorp]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

The military might be the only ones with the firepower to deal with the big drug bosses, but it would not be pretty, or diplomatic, or safe for any democratic system with a rule of law? And there'd be mistakes of course………..
But I thought I read that America had it's own fentanyl manufacturing and pushing industries……?

[TomF]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

The problem is demand, not supply. Supply follows demand.

[Paul Pless]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

anyway to expand the military industrial complex

[Hallam]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

In OZ a few years ago we had a North Korean ship cruising the southern coast attempting to off load a large shipment of heroin. It seemed to be a badly planed operation that ended up with the ship being impounded etc...

Pong Su incident - Wikipedia

[LeeG]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

anyway to expand the military industrial complex

Kaine seems like a rational guy but the MIC must permeate the state. Not to diminish the problem of fentanyl but the recourse to military assets for a non-military problem sure smells wrong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Kaine

[wizbang 13]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

blaming mexico or china ....pfffft

[stromborg]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

The problem is demand, not supply. Supply follows demand.

This

Opioid addicts have something like a 90% relapse rate so figuring out a way to stop the addiction in the first place is going to be key. I recently heard that (in the Seattle area at least) 50% of the people resuscitated from a fentanyl overdose will die within a year from another OD.

PSA for the day: If you decide to be a Good Samaritan, carry naloxone and actually use it please be aware the person you revive is likely to be disoriented and pissed off because all those good feelings they were having got yanked away. It is also not necessarily "one and done" so calling 911 (or your local equivalent) is still a good idea.

[JimD]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

They do it because it's there.

[Brian Palmer]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

The Sackler family and others in big pharma were very effective in creating demand by creating the myth that we should all be pain-free and pain was a "vital sign." How often were we given a 30-day supply of opioids for acute pain that should be resolved in a few days, long before the 30-days are over? Before fenantyl became a problem, prescription opioids were being widely abused. When pharmacies started to clamp down on handing out prescription opioids, fentanyl filled the gap.

Opioids were also, long ago, one of the first effective treatments for chronic depression. It is no coincidence that a lot of people addicted to opioids also have underlying depression and other mental health issues.

[long time lurker]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

anyway to expand the military industrial complex

The "Military Industrial Congressional Complex". FTFY.

[LeeG]

Re: Fentanyl deaths

blaming mexico or china ....pfffft

Those people.