Fentanyl is spreading on the Hamburg drug market – often without users knowing. There is a danger to life.
This development in Hamburg’s drug market is alarming: Fentanyl, one of the strongest opioid painkillers of all, is increasingly in circulation. It’s actually supposed to relieve the pain of people who are dying or suffering from cancer. But it is also extremely addictive. The powerful narcotic heroin is used on the illegal drug market.
One Study by the German AIDS Federation, in which street heroin was tested for fentanyl, now shows the shocking extent: In voluntary tests of consumers in consumption rooms such as the “Drob Inn” at Hamburg Central Station, fentanyl was found in eleven percent of the 250 samples – a record level in Germany. While only less than one percent of the drugs tested in Berlin contained fentanyl, the Hanseatic city is at the top.
Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal
Fentanyl poses a significant risk of death due to its high potency. It can be 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin, significantly increasing the risk of overdose. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, while the lethal dose of heroin is around 200 milligrams. If users do not know that their drug contains fentanyl, their lives are often in danger.
The tests say nothing about how high the proportion of fentanyl is in the heroin. Nevertheless, the data serves as an initial indication of the extent to which fentanyl is consumed in drug scenes in Germany.
Aidshilfe calls for rapid testing services to be expanded
“Synthetic opioids have arrived in Germany,” says Winfried Holz from the board of German Aids Aid. “The utmost vigilance is now required.” International experience shows that many people could lose their lives this way. In the United States, an estimated 100,000 people die from an overdose every year.
Holz demands: “The federal states and municipalities must now ensure that drug help facilities and users are prepared.” It is important to expand the existing rapid test range, say the drug experts.
In addition, the emergency drug naloxone, which reverses the effects of synthetic opioids, must be distributed among potential first responders. This includes emergency services, drug support workers, the police and users themselves.
2024-02-16 18:10:39
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