Abby Pryor 8th period- The Growing Fear of the 'kill pill'

Summary: Synthetic fentanyl is growing to be more popular in the street drug market. Anyone who buys drugs could be oblivious to the fact that they're taking fentanyl. This drug is highly dangerous because it is 100 times stronger than morphine. The smallest amount can kill a person. Usually, people are tricked by the drug being labeled as something less harmful. Counterfeit drugs can't even be told apart by forensic scientists. People are now calling this drug 'the kill pill'. Many famous people have died from taking this, including Prince. Fentanyl is an opioid which gives an effect similar to heroin- but 50 times stronger. This drug is the strongest on the market. Senator Klobuchar authored a bill that requires states to check in on the prescription drugs being sold. Drug overdose deaths have gotten 4 times larger in the past 15 years in Minnesota. Drug overdoses are killing more people than car crashes. People are becoming dependent on opioids, and it's up to the pharmaceutical authorities to begin monitoring. This change will take work, not just words.



Analysis: People in the US are growing more and more dependent on drugs. Counterfeit drugs are being made to soothe these massive wants and needs by addicts. You can't ever tell which is fake or real, so it is now up to the authorities to begin monitoring what kind of drugs are being made. This is becoming a growing problem, and more people than ever are dying because of this 'kill pill'.



Synthesis: In 1914, the Harrison Narcotic Act outlawed cocaine/strong drug usage in the United States. This authority allowed for the decline of hard drugs, but the lack of authority over the years led to the popularity of these narcotics again.



Prior knowledge: Before reading this, I had known about how the drug market is beginning to control many peoples' lives in the US. I also knew that there's lots of fake drugs that can harm people beyond their knowing. I didn't know that it is becoming more responsible for deaths than any other cause.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/26/health/prince-minnesota-fentanyl-counterfeit-pills/