Fentanyl, the drug that turns consumers into “zombies”, has been found in the hands of “dealers” in our country, despite the fact that it is only possible to obtain it for medical use with a prescription visa. In recent days, the National Police seized eight tablets of this substance belonging to a cocaine dealer from La LÃnea de La Concepción (Cádiz).
According to the Police, this seizure proves that this powerful analgesic is especially present in the points of sale of illegal drugs. The dealer where the fentanyl was found was distributing cocaine to private parties, as a “telecoca” service, but there was already a “zombie drug” among the material.
In addition, in October, the National Police arrested a woman in Logroño who falsified 240 medical prescriptions from which she obtained 10,230 fentanyl pills.
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is an addictive and powerful opiate with quick effects and a low price, two characteristics that have been the main complaints of this drug that has wreaked havoc in many cities in the United States for years.
It belongs to a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers, known as opiates, and works by binding to opioid receptors found in the parts of the brain that control pain and emotion.
Consumers of this illegal substance feel, among other effects, extreme euphoria, weakness, confusion, constipation, sedation and loss of consciousness. Therefore, users walk aimlessly like zombies on the streets. Continued use or overdose of this drug can lead to coma and death.
Its effect on the body is 100 times more powerful than that of morphine and 50 times more powerful than that of heroin. In addition, it is effective immediately and causes more addiction than any other drug.
Because of its low price, fentanyl was initially used to enhance the effects of other illegal drugs. However, its powerful effect makes it one of the most used drugs among consumers. In the United States alone, one-third of the 100,000 people who will die in 2022 from an overdose have consumed fentanyl.
This powerful analgesic is legally used to relieve the pain of diseases such as cancer or after surgery. In its medicinal form it can be administered by injections, as a patch to be placed on the skin and as pills that dissolve in the mouth.
Synthetic fentanyl sold illegally on the street can be found in powder form, in drops on blotting paper, in eye drops or nasal spray containers, or in pills similar to other prescription opioids.
