This past June, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that music icon Prince died as a direct result of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, the prescription drug that is said to be 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
Although the Purple One met his demise in his Minnesota hometown, the country’s northwestern region is currently combating a potential epidemic should the pills continue to circulate in their current format in the streets of Sacramento and Fresno.
According to ABC30, California’s capital reported 28 overdoses — six of them fatal — back in March and Fresno County Sheriffs are seeing an increase in investigations for the prescription meds (as well a synthetic street version) that are making their users drop like flies.
“They thought they were dealing with powdered heroin, but when the lab came back with results on the substance in the bag it turned out to be fentanyl,” an undercover deputy told the station. “The new concern for us right now is that synthetic opioids are going to take over that market, and it seems they are quickly doing that.”
The biggest age demographic is reportedly 18-to-25-year-olds, exactly the type of users one would expect to experiment with drugs without fear of lethal dosage or reprimand from their bodies.
“We have seen a rise in that age group, and so, especially a lot of people that are coming from the methadone clinic and needing residential treatment as well, because they can’t stay clean or they want to kinda detoxify. And so, they need a safe and secure environment to do that in,” Shawn Jenkins, an employee of the Westcare drug treatment facility said.
CNN reports that whoever is creating the counterfeit contraband is “well-versed in chemistry” and has all the equipment to make it possible.
In other words, Walter White is real.
Unfortunately, the rise of fake fentanyl doesn’t appear to be solely a United States problem — it’s a North American problem. Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail recently compiled data and found that British Columbia and Alberta had a combined 415 fentanyl-related deaths last year alone.
Many suppliers and dealers are said to have a hand in mixing the pills to boost the effectiveness of heroin and OxyContin and Canada has narrowed down imports from China as a big catalyst for the ongoing issue.
“Even if we wanted to now suddenly take action, there’s nothing we can do,” Benedikt Fischer, a senior scientist at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, admits. “We have no way of controlling thousands of illegal drug labs in China.”
Popping pills have become a recreational pastime for many of today’s youth, including a chunk of the Hip Hop audience.
Travis Scott’s undeniable classic record “Antidote” celebrated its one-year anniversary this week and can also be deemed as a promotional vehicle for the cult of swallowing pain medication.
On his 2012 breakout sophomore studio album, Mac Miller rapped sweet nothings for the drug with the lyrics “Love me, love me, that fentanyl, it numb me” on the track “Someone Like You.” Likewise for Three 6 Mafia legend Lord Infamous, who once boasted how he ingests “fentanyl after amphetamines” on the opener to his Scarecrow Tha Terrible Part Two release in 2013.
The end result was Miller conducting a subsequent press tour to commemorate his sobriety but Infamous, unfortunately, didn’t get the same opportunity. He passed away from a heart attack at the age of 40 shortly after his album was released.
It’s just something to consider next time the party atmosphere calls for swallowing a little white pill that no one knows the origin of.
LETS BE REAL. The powers that be killed him. Not himself. 4-5 days ago Prince was confirmed to have buy back all his masters. Then 2 days afterwards he predicted his own death. He was worth more dead then alive. Don’t believe me? Do the research. START CRITICAL THINKING PEOPLE!
He was about to buy NBC, huh?
Stop popping pills kids. This new generation will drink lean and pop all types of pills etc but act like they ain’t dopefiends because they ain’t smoking rocks or shooting up. These synthetic drugs are gonna fuck up the hood like coke and heron did. Weed is all you need if you want to enjoy yourself.
Mase was rapping about Fentanyl on when NY was NY
This drug is being laced with everything to increase profits, just google Fentanyl deaths in Canada.
Opana is the real deal in Metro Detroit.
Fentanyl is an end of life drug where I live.
It’s only given to those approaching death, however the manufacturers aren’t helping with the illegal trade: they even supply it as fucking lollipops.
I’m on prescribed (and needed…) OxyContin and tramadol, I feel like shite all day, sweaty fucking putting on pounds from the side effects (water retention) my minds on full fuzzy constantly… Ain’t shit for a week….
Fuck Knows why anyone would want to feel like this man, it’s rough as hell. I’m grumpy as hell constantly, my body hates me for poisoning it – and I hear the side effects of Fentanyl are much, much worse.
Go buy some god damn cocaine and if you really need a downer go listen to some drake.
“I feel like shite all day, sweaty fucking putting on pounds from the side effects (water retention) my minds on full fuzzy constantly… Ain’t shit for a week…. Fuck Knows why anyone would want to feel like this man, it’s rough as hell. I’m grumpy as hell constantly, my body hates me for poisoning it”…………..LMAOOOOOOO
I only ended up this way from doing your mother so hard I snapped my back.
By the sounds of the description you gave of yourself, you aint getting any pussy my friend.
Who said my dick was broken? Why you so concerned about how much pussy I’m getting? I was trying to be serious for a second here, give some inside perspective, but hey, you go trying to rub yo dick over a cripple who gets pleanty of dick sucks And a platter of pussy for dinner (who cares if it’s pitty sucks, they always come back) That’s a couple of plus side to it.
Fresno has to be the biggest shithole in America. Place is full of meth and this bullshit. People going around like zombies all day. Should just nuke the place.
Replied to the wrong comment.
Ok DX comment section is all screwed up. Keeps putting my comments here, wtf?
this drug is very good for suicide it’s like nembutal alternative
Them die it fwnty is a blessed Clo I amkoerd smoke his it h.i. v meds be best and tas here we all it gumbano fwnyl isthe best justjustampke smoke and ypubfeel thekunta kinte of love with Monte 28 on wewe stay buzz her with groundground nut
Its fucked up how shit is with these drugs and how they ruin ppl’s lives. I bet it’s hard to get off of them and having no help really sucks and brings no hope.. I hope Viceland helped someway and not just film it.