The streets of Connecticut have been littered with a new strain of heroin since the start of the new year. The heroin is being laced with a fentanyl, which is narcotic that is more intoxicating than heroin. The combination is proving to be extremely deadly. The fentanyl-laced heroin has street names including “China White,” “Drop Dead,” and “Serial Killer”
Fentanyl is a painkiller that is between 50 to 100 times stronger morphine. The most recent outbreak of this fentanyl-laced heroin was back in 2005 where it killed nearly 1,000 people over a two-year period. One of the major issues surrounding this drug is that some [if not most] of the heroin is coming from drug cartels in Mexico. These cartels have increased the production of fentanyl and are smuggling it across the United States border.
The most common use of fentanyl is for cancer patients. Chronic pain patients and cancer patients are given this narcotic when other pain medicines do not work anymore. Those taking fentanyl need to take extra caution when taking other medications. Over-the-counter medicines and vitamins can interfere with fentanyl. Patients are urged to talk to their physician before taking fentanyl with medicines for anxiety, depression or seizures.
Fentanyl is a drug that the body can become dependent on. When someone becomes dependent, it does not mean they are addicted. Dependency and addiction are slightly different. Addiction occurs when someone uncontrollably craves the drug, and is classified as a disease. Dependency is when someone depends on a drug for relief [usually from chronic pain] but does not experience compulsive cravings.
Due to the increase amount of drug related deaths in the Hartford area, students at the University of Hartford were informed via email about the dangerous substance. The Vice President of Student Affairs, Lee Peters, contacted the students regarding the drug. He stated, “The Connecticut Department of Public Health has issued a health advisory this month about Fentanyl-laced heroin. There has been a marked increase in deaths in Connecticut and western Massachusetts since the beginning of this year due to heroin. Nationally, there has been an increase in heroin use and overdose deaths as well.”
The students were given information regarding help centers both on and off campus. The resources off campus include:
Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery
Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
Many students on the University of Hartford agree that the campus does have marijuana circling around but do not feel like it is a major problem. These students feel as if campus is safe and with the help or the local police departments and safety officers on campus the heroin will not be a problem on the campus. Jezelle Gordon states that, “The drug might get on campus but I think that students are smart enough not to take it.” She continued by saying that the email Peters sent out to students was a smart move. Students agree that the affects of marijuana are very different from those of heroin so they are not worried about other students taking it.
The Connecticut streets are not the only place this heroin is being found on. Erie County [the Buffalo region] of New York has seen about 23 deaths in a two-week period. These deaths have been linked to the fentanyl laced heroin or fentanyl alone. Other deaths have been recorded in Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and North Carolina. Many states have issued a health advisory similar to the one that Connecticut has issued to advise residences of the dangers of fentanyl-laced heroin.
