What is Fentanyl?
- The USA revoked visas to Indian business executives based on their alleged involvement in trafficking fentanyl precursors, the base chemicals used to manufacture Fentanyl.
About Fentanyl
- Fentanyl, a potent opioid agonist/synthetic opioid, was developed in the 1950s to fill a need for strong and rapid analgesia.
- It received FDA approval in 1968 and is widely used medically for chronic cancer pain, surgical anesthesia, and other severe pain management.
- Unlike natural opioids derived from the opium poppy, fentanyl is entirely lab-made.
Potency
- Fentanyl is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
- It belongs to the opioid class, related to drugs like morphine and oxycodone, acting as a powerful agonist of opioid receptors.
- Fentanyl is often used as an adulterant in heroin and other street drugs. In the USA, it is the leading cause of overdose deaths.
Its Trafficking
- Fentanyl and its precursor chemicals are trafficked internationally.
- Countries like India, China, Mexico, and Pakistan are cited as sources or transit hubs for precursor chemicals. India’s location between major drug-producing regions, such as the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle, makes it a critical player in global drug trafficking dynamics.
Also refer to Role of Fentanyl in Zombie Drug
