I‘m old enough to understand that there has always been a drug of choice throughout history, and there always will be a drug of choice. Therefore, it’s not surprising that fentanyl addiction and overdoses have entered American children’s lives.
Why Fentanyl?
It creates wealth for various people involved in making, distributing, and selling fentanyl. The wealth is easily made because American voters continue to elect politicians who create ineffective laws, regulations, and policies. In 2020, it became clear that American voters’ ignorance had hit a new high—the year saw the deadliest toll from fentanyl overdoses in American history.
Fentanyl’s Journey
Official name: Fentanyl
Street names: Apache, China Girl, China Town, China White, Murder 8, Jackpot, Poison, TNT, and Tango and Cash
Pharmaceutical technology timeline:
1960 – First synthesized by Dr. Paul Janssen
1972 – FDA approval for fentanyl (1968 w/droperidol)
1981 – Patent protection removed which increased sales.
1990s – New drug technologies for opioid usage.
2000s – Waves of opioid usage both through prescription and illegal drug trafficking.
2022 – According to the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, the major suppliers of fentanyl include Chinese chemical manufacturers, Chinese vendors, the Mexican cartel, and India. With a wide selection of suppliers, buyers find it easy to purchase fentanyl on the dark web and social media sites, via e-commerce, and from local drug dealers. After purchase, fentanyl is conveniently moved worldwide to enter the U.S. via mail, cargo ships, air freight, and open borders.
Politics: Everything is in place to continue Americans’ drug addictions and deaths; the system has been developing for more than 30 years. According to the Institute of Policy Studies, the illicit drug industry was worth $400 billion in 1998. Based on information from various resources, in 2021, it was estimated to be worth $78 trillion. With a return on investment of trillions for manufacturers, distributors, drug dealers, and global politicians, there is no urgency to stop the root causes of the ‘drug of choice’ madness.
I could go on with data about the incompetence of American politicians over the past 30 years in terms of the illegal drug trade directly affecting American children, but this is irrelevant. The solutions must come from Americans.
Solutions
No politicians, media outlets, or experts will state there are easy solutions. Common sense solutions never created fame, fortune, or followers. American women in today’s society need to understand the scale of the illegal drug industry, which includes sex and human trafficking and illegal gun sales. With profits in the billions yearly in the U.S. that create an unknown amount of political and media corruption, it’s time to wake up and think about intelligent votes and personal responsibility to ensure the safety of American children.
Intelligent Votes
Votes matter. Politicians have created an American nightmare for far too long. It’s time to think about the following in every primary and general election cycle.
- Voting out career politicians.
- Holding politicians accountable for your vote.
- Border security, which includes land, sea, air, and cyberspace.
Intelligent voting will only slow down the flow; Americans can’t control the billions of dollars used to compromise American politicians and the media.
Parents Responsibility
According to JAMA 2022 research, there was an alarming increase in addiction and overdoses among teenagers in 2020 and 2021; it’s the parent’s responsibility to intervene in the crisis. There is no help coming from government officials.
Parents need to realize that some experts now consider fentanyl the new synthetic opioid crisis for American children. Time will tell if the fentanyl situation mirrors or surpasses other opioid usages. However, beware; according to officials in Tennessee, a new “drug of choice” that is more potent may have entered the mix; it’s called protonitazene.
The bottom line is this: Talk to your children, share resources, and get professional help if needed. After raising two successful drug-free Millennials, I know they might act like they are not listening, but I’ve learned they were paying attention.
Resources
- S. Food and Drug Administration website – Accidental Exposures to Fentanyl Patches Continue to Be Deadly to Children.
- SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free service for children to call and ask for information or help. It’s part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing.
- Opioids Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report Segment Forecasts, 2019 – 2026.
- Families Against Fentanyl.
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Thank you Jaqueline, I appreciate you raising awareness on this topic.
Last night watching a documentary on drugs and pills a very unsettling feeling came over me.
follow the money yes, but its deeper than that and the question is, what is it that has people feeling so helpless that they would choose to check out from reality and in many cases this life?
They present a product or offer and it is up to people to accept or deny.
The so called war on drugs did what exactly?
Not certain politicians or lobbyists are bold enough to stand up against these giants who sell drugs on a mass scale…
Growing up in an environment filled with drugs as a kid i would kick lil crack vials in the street before getting on the short bus.
On the block we could pretty much get anything and started getting high before my tenth birthday…i was fortunate to make it out of that life but many loved ones didn’t and our parks and schools and places of recreation were a joke.
Trillions have been printed on relief and wars for profit while the soldiers came back to only escape from reality, at least the ones that I grew up around.
What if we built places so awesome and filled with adventure and the ability to build our skills and comprehend nature and cultivation of the many awesome trades and skills while having an additional place to present the achievements and sense of accomplishment so as to create a reality worth living than the current way of the world?
The wealth gap increases and depression addiction suicide and despair grows til finally we reach the tipping point…here we are, what we do next will determine the generations of the future who arrive on this world that life is worth living!
Great article and bringing more awareness to the forefront on Fantenyl. I agree parents need to educate their kids and pay attention to the signs.
Being a retired police officer who worked the streets and dealt with the former, not so popular drugs of choice not street, as I read your article, nothing could have been added. I often wonder if these politicians would do more if it hit closer to their home and family.