By Natalia Rueda 
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid pain reliever that is prescribed to treat severe, chronic pain. It is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and is prescribed in the form of a transdermal patch, lozenges, tablets, and injected into the body intravenously. Fentanyl has a high risk of dependency and overdose, and can be lethal even in small amounts.
Opioid Epidemic
The United Nations has released a disturbing report that estimates the number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States and Canada is continuing to rise sharply. The report indicates that at least 80,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the United States last year, a 60 percent increase from 2019. Meanwhile, in Canada, the UN estimates that synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, are the major driver of the alarming overdose increase.
The report also noted that the global number of drug users has increased by 23% since 2011, bringing the total number of users to 296 million. Of these substances, the most popular remain cannabis, with 219 million users, and opioids, with 60 million users. Additionally, the UN reports that cocaine production has reached an all-time high, with more than 2,300 tons of the highest purity, while seizures of cocaine have topped 2,026 tons.
The report concludes that in order to combat the opioid epidemic, global governments must prioritize the health and well-being of those who use drugs. Governments must dedicate time, effort, and resources to education, prevention, treatment, and harm reduction. Most importantly, access to opioid substitution treatments, such as methadone and buprenorphine, must be widely available to all who need them.
The UN’s report serves as an urgent reminder that while overdose deaths continue to rise, we must act now to address the root causes of the opioid epidemic and provide necessary support to those who suffer from addiction.