Fentanyl Crisis

[Emergent, RN]

First of all, even the 2010 statistics are atrocious, let alone the  2021 ones. 100,000 people in the United States died of overdoses in 2021. This quote is from a BBC article on a recent death of a little boy in a daycare that was also a location for fentanyl dealing.

Quote

In 2010, less than 40,000 people died from a drug overdose across the country, and less than 10% of those deaths were tied to fentanyl.

By 2021, over 100,000 people died in drug overdoses, with an estimated 66% of those tied to fentanyl.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66861588

I was given fentanyl once during a carpal tunnel surgery when I became extremely anxious, and claustrophobic from the tourniquet they had on my forearm. It is a very euphoric feeling. In my case, I also suffer eventually from a lot of nausea and vomiting from any opioid. But I was high as a kite when they were giving me my discharge instructions.

I am normally pretty libertarian in my outlook but, this Fentanyl crisis needs the strong arm of the law. It seems even worse than Meth, which is saying a lot.

[klone, MSN, RN]

The "strong arm of the law" has never been very effective at fighting drug addiction.

Fentanyl is a very appropriate and safe medication when used correctly. It's used in L&D as a labor analgesic all the time.

Lots of thoughts on this. Minnesota currently has one of the worst opioid epidemics in the entire nation. Our clinic is waiting to find out if we will be awarded a grant, that we will be using to start a syringe exchange program.

[Emergent, RN]

By strong arm of the law I mean protecting non-users, such as this little boy, from the carelessness of addicted people.

 The government clamped down on tobacco smokers to protect the lungs of non-smokers. Yet, the city of Seattle eased up on enforcing any drug laws, so people started lighting up fentanyl on city buses. It's such a potent drug that the second hand smoke can strongly affect the public at large. Apparently they are reconsidering that policy. 

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Seattle just changed their law about public drug use, but now it's a matter of who will enforce it, and how. 

https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/09/seattle-city-council-passes-law-prosecute-drug-use-possession

Sure, everyone should have the opportunity for treatment, but if they don't take it, it seems rather futile. 

[toomuchbaloney]

nursej22 said:

Seattle just changed their law about public drug use, but now it's a matter of who will enforce it, and how. 

https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/09/seattle-city-council-passes-law-prosecute-drug-use-possession

Sure, everyone should have the opportunity for treatment, but if they don't take it, it seems rather futile. 

Addiction is complicated.  The reasons that we have this problem is complicated and there are lots and lots of victims. I recommend taking an hour to watch this documentary that tries to discuss at least part of our challenge. 

 

[klone, MSN, RN]

There are a lot of complex reasons why people don't go into treatment, or don't complete treatment, or relapse. People with SUD are victims and deserve compassion. "Tough love" is not particularly effective.

[offlabel]

Chinese fentanyl is entering South American countries flooding north through the southern US border. This is all just part of the continuing US border crisis. 

[toomuchbaloney]

offlabel said:

Chinese fentanyl is entering South American countries flooding north through the southern US border. This is all just part of the continuing US border crisis. 

Too bad our congress is so dysfunctional.

[offlabel]

toomuchbaloney said:

Too bad our congress is so dysfunctional.

I'd say ideologic...from the President on down...with the CA governor is complicit in the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans

[toomuchbaloney]

offlabel said:

I'd say ideologic...from the President on down...with the CA governor is complicit in the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans

Sure, you could say that but someone might then suggest that you should provide some proof and they might bring up some data that makes people who aren't the president or the governor of California look really bad on the topic of immigration.  Other people might wonder why you think that immigration became a problem after the last guy lost the election and tried to overthrow our government but wasn't before.  

Because the president has exactly nothing to do with the dysfunction of congress or their inability to pass meaningful immigration reform.

[offlabel]

toomuchbaloney said:

Sure, you could say that but someone might then suggest that you should provide some proof and they might bring up some data that makes people who aren't the president or the governor of California look really bad on the topic of immigration.  Other people might wonder why you think that immigration became a problem after the last guy lost the election and tried to overthrow our government but wasn't before.  

Because the president has exactly nothing to do with the dysfunction of congress or their inability to pass meaningful immigration reform.

But he has *everything* to do with day to day, boots on the ground border security as Commander in Chief as that is the fundamental national security issue.  

[chare]

Emergent said:

By strong arm of the law I mean protecting non-users, such as this little boy, from the carelessness of addicted people.

[...]

Considering we've been losing the war on drugs for 52 years, what exactly do think that the "strong arm of the law" do differently?

offlabel said:

I'd say ideologic...from the President on down...with the CA governor is complicit in the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans

Are you suggesting that immigrants, either documented or undocumented, are a driving force in the fentanyl smuggling crisis?  I hear this, but no one has yet shown me any evidence in support.  I found the following, from the Cato Institute an interesting read: Fentanyl Is Smuggled for U.S. Citizens By U.S. Citizens, Not Asylum Seekers.