Thank you, again, for shining a sane light on things. This is what I keep "shouting from the rooftops" whenever I am asked. The proliferation of fentanyl and the overdose crisis is a direct result of the continually failing and poorly disguised war on drugs. Prohibition ALWAYS causes an increase in deaths.
Thanks Erin! It's bonkers that things have gotten this bad. Lots of recreational drug or cocaine users do not think of themselves as a "drug user" and probably don't think they're impacted or threatened by the overdose crisis. Certainly hope things don't get worse but these cocaine/fentanyl deaths are really scary. Thanks for doing what you do.
Thanks for writing this. I have definitely become completely wary of any friends doing "white powder" drugs these days because there are so many stories like this. Every cocaine or MDMA or or pressed pill transaction now feels like it's playing Russian roulette, and the supply-side effects seem to be the most plausible reason. I wonder what the stats are on fentanyl presence in cocaine.
Are there recommendations for people on the retail consumer side for how to avoid death beyond "don't do it alone"? Test kits that you recommend checking for fentanyl before consuming? For those that still do these types of drugs ideally there's a simple intervention before taking them that can avoid these tragedies beyond just the literal taste-testing. Going to put Narcan in all my friends Christmas stockings this year.
Thanks for this. Absolutely right that white powders right now are super sketchy. As far as navigating this, in usual American fashion, much like Covid, it's on consumers to just navigate all on their own. Below are a few links to places that you can order test strips. Depending where you live, there might be a harm reduction program that distributes test strips. Thanks for reading.
Also speaks to my American brain that I failed to even consider alternatives to consumers navigating on their own…my thoughts went right to “what can I buy to not have loved ones die terrible deaths”. Oof.
Hi Zach! Great article. I am currently working on a project around fentanyl and prohibition, and I find your explanation about overproduction/saturation of the market with fentanyl very compelling. I would like to read more on it. You spoke of researchers and analysts who conclude this as well. Could you tell me about them? I love your blog and feel that projects like this, debunking the myths fueling prohibitionist policies, are very important, so I would also love to know more people working on this stuff. Sorry for the odd english, this isn't my first language. Thank you!
It's hard for me to believe cooks are making fentanyl so far over what they know they can sell.
It's not like anyone *has to buy their product.
Or do they?
If not for prohibition everyone who wants it would be getting pharmaceutical grade cocaine, I do know that.
We'd give them an herbal tea and a little booth and in every way all naughtiness is removed from the procedure. This is what they did in Switzerland and it seems to be quite effective.
Thank you, again, for shining a sane light on things. This is what I keep "shouting from the rooftops" whenever I am asked. The proliferation of fentanyl and the overdose crisis is a direct result of the continually failing and poorly disguised war on drugs. Prohibition ALWAYS causes an increase in deaths.
Thanks Erin! It's bonkers that things have gotten this bad. Lots of recreational drug or cocaine users do not think of themselves as a "drug user" and probably don't think they're impacted or threatened by the overdose crisis. Certainly hope things don't get worse but these cocaine/fentanyl deaths are really scary. Thanks for doing what you do.
Thanks so much! These were the very questions I had after reading that WSJ article yesterday.
Thanks for writing this. I have definitely become completely wary of any friends doing "white powder" drugs these days because there are so many stories like this. Every cocaine or MDMA or or pressed pill transaction now feels like it's playing Russian roulette, and the supply-side effects seem to be the most plausible reason. I wonder what the stats are on fentanyl presence in cocaine.
Are there recommendations for people on the retail consumer side for how to avoid death beyond "don't do it alone"? Test kits that you recommend checking for fentanyl before consuming? For those that still do these types of drugs ideally there's a simple intervention before taking them that can avoid these tragedies beyond just the literal taste-testing. Going to put Narcan in all my friends Christmas stockings this year.
Thanks for this. Absolutely right that white powders right now are super sketchy. As far as navigating this, in usual American fashion, much like Covid, it's on consumers to just navigate all on their own. Below are a few links to places that you can order test strips. Depending where you live, there might be a harm reduction program that distributes test strips. Thanks for reading.
https://dancesafe.org/product-category/testing-strips/
https://fentcheck.org/
https://nextdistro.org/
Also speaks to my American brain that I failed to even consider alternatives to consumers navigating on their own…my thoughts went right to “what can I buy to not have loved ones die terrible deaths”. Oof.
Thanks for these.
"Drug suppliers and sellers are capitalists like everybody else" should be embroidered on a pillow.
No! Drug suppliers are all The Joker, agents of chaos who operate on sadistic impulses. :)
Another meta question is why is there so much fentanyl being produced?
Indeed, just ask the CCP. They know the reason why, as most of it (or at least its precursors) originates in China.
Hi Zach! Great article. I am currently working on a project around fentanyl and prohibition, and I find your explanation about overproduction/saturation of the market with fentanyl very compelling. I would like to read more on it. You spoke of researchers and analysts who conclude this as well. Could you tell me about them? I love your blog and feel that projects like this, debunking the myths fueling prohibitionist policies, are very important, so I would also love to know more people working on this stuff. Sorry for the odd english, this isn't my first language. Thank you!
It's hard for me to believe cooks are making fentanyl so far over what they know they can sell.
It's not like anyone *has to buy their product.
Or do they?
If not for prohibition everyone who wants it would be getting pharmaceutical grade cocaine, I do know that.
We'd give them an herbal tea and a little booth and in every way all naughtiness is removed from the procedure. This is what they did in Switzerland and it seems to be quite effective.
Most people quit on their own anyway.
The addiction industry hates that fact.
BINGO
BINGO. Prohibitionists have a LOT of blood on their hands!