With drug overdoses surging to record levels—more than 200,000 Americans died in the year-long period ending in April—the New York Times takes a closer look at the powerful synthetic opioid fentantyl, which is driving the spike in fatalities. The painkiller was developed in the 1950s and is used to treat cancer and post-surgery pain, but today it is a major street drug sold on the black market, sprayed on marijuana, and made into counterfeit pills resembling oxycodone and Xanax. Users unaware they are consuming fentanyl-laced drugs die quickly, as it is 100 times more powerful than morphine. This is the third wave of the opioid epidemic after prescription painkillers and heroin and is now the main cause of death from a drug overdose. Fentanyl is mainly made in China, shipped to Mexico, and then transported over the border, and its spread has been “stealthy, steady and deadly.” To stop this killer drug we need better interdiction, more controls on online sales, and extensive education and prevention programs to warn people about the dangers of consuming fentanyl.
Meanwhile, a new study finds that vaping can be just as dangerous as smoking regular cigarettes, triggering inflammation and changes in blood chemistry. At first, vaping was touted as a “healthy” smoking cessation tool, but after a wave of vaping-related deaths and an epidemic of teen use, the study shows that vapers experience a similar gene disruption as smokers do. This could potentially lead to cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases, and cancer, the study concluded.
And finally, many states implemented telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic and expanded telemedicine practices for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), but progress overall has been uneven. A report in JAMA Health Forum reveals that few states are comprehensive in their approach, such as easing access to medications for OUD treatment. Other moves—including loosening licensing requirements—have been applied unevenly. And despite these federal and state policy changes, overdose deaths and substance abuse still rose during the pandemic.