Fentanyl, the deadly trap plaguing the US-Mexico border

Elena prepares her second daily dose of heroin. She has been injecting herself for 20 years, but since the overdose who almost killed her last year is afraid because the drug in mexicali now comes mixed with fentanylwithout the consumers knowing.

The sample “is positive to fentanyl”, they confirm after a test in Roomwhere users from this Mexican city, on the border with USAthey can safely consume the drug they buy on the street and avoid crises.

Elena, a heroin user, looks on during an interview with AFP after injecting herself with a heroin injection with fentanyl in La Sala, a safe and clean space for women who use drugs at the Verter Community Center in Mexicali, Baja California State, Mexico. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP) (GUILLERMO ARIAS/)

The test reveals in minutes if it is contaminated with this opioid synthetic that lurks as a global threat.

since 2019 “There is not a single test for heroin that does not come out positive for fentanyl”says Said Slim, coordinator of Pourthe NGO that created Room in 2018 to protect Mexicali consumers in a vulnerable situation.

The organization’s 2022 records indicate that overdoses doubled in one year. Worse yet, there are daily deaths in mexicaliof a million inhabitants, according to the authorities.

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Overdose

With a smiling expression on a face lacerated by addiction, Elena explains that her crisis occurred despite the fact that she had injected her usual dose of heroin.

“They gave me that vial to bring me back because it was very strong. Talk about the naloxonedrug capable of reversing the poisoning by opioids and restricted in Mexico.

Elena, who works as a cleaner, cut her dose in half and almost always injects herself into Rooma pioneering initiative in Latin Americawhere, as in Europe, alarm bells sound for the lethal and most addictive mixtures of fentanyl.

Elena, 50 years old, injects herself in the right side. “I did it intramuscularly”he comments, explaining that through the veins the effect “It feels nice, but it ends sooner.”

The NGO provides users with consumption kits that prevent the spread of hepatitis either HIV and monitor your health.

homeless or sex workers They go to the premises, where they are greeted by name, receive health advice and guidance on abuses of authority.

“They still make me feel that I am a human being”says Ricardo, looking tired but serene, who has been using heroin for 26 years. He almost got killed too. fentanyl.

“When the heroin switch -so to speak original- to (the mixture with) fentanyl I suffered an overdose of which only by the grace of God I am here “remember.

Adapting was “very difficult” for Ricardo, 59, who lowered the dose to half a gram daily.

He fentanyl “anesthetizes you” and leaves “practically asleep”, describes the man, who sells sweets on the street. “People are not stupid and (…) they realize when one is under the influence”.

mexicali suffers the tail end of the crisis of synthetic opioids of USAwhere more than 70,000 people have died since last August intoxicated with these substances, mainly fentanyl.

Washington it points to the Mexican cartels as preponderant in opioid production and trafficking, and the issue dominates the binational agenda.

But the Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, He denies that it is produced in Mexico and assures that it is imported from China, after which the cartels make pills that are easy to traffic due to their size.

Criminals often mix fentanyl also methamphetamine and cocaine.

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elusive antidote

Carlos Romero, deputy director of Police and Transit of mexicalisays that daily this unit deals with between three and six deaths of suspected addicts, who usually were unaware of the mixture.

“Many are overdoses (…), the presence of fentanyl It has grown a lot in the city”write down.

Some occur in the street, others in “riding halls”, as clandestine consumption sites are known. But also in homes, adds Romero, ruling out that the problem is exclusive to marginal sectors.

Julio Buenrostrocoordinator of the Red Cross, indicates that overdoses represent up to 25% of the emergencies they attend. However, with naloxone “We managed to save a lot of lives”.

Without regular access to the drug, paramedics, firefighters and even police officers resort to Pourwhich gets it donated in USA.

“If we didn’t have naloxone, it would take longer for a patient to come out” of the crisis, explains Glory Bridgeemergency technician of the Red Crosswho asks the government for support.

Source: Elcomercio