The State of Florida’s deadliest opioid, Fentanyl, is said to be linked to at least ten overdoses in the last week in South Florida according to the Miami Herald. Victims of this drug, which is noted as being fifty times more potent than heroin, include four men hospitalized in Fort Lauderdale and a group of West Point cadets. As reported by the Miami Herald, the West Point students were on spring break vacation in Wilton Manors when they overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine and were subsequently hospitalized.
Although recent overdose incidents seem to have originated in Broward County, overdose cases linked to fentanyl are on the rise in Miami-Dade as well. Often drug users are unaware that the drug they are taking is laced with fentanyl. According to the Sun-Sentinel, 94.7% of fentanyl-related deaths are accidental.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are the primary reason for deaths due to overdose in the United States. During the twelve-month period between January 31st, 2020, and 2021, opioid-related deaths increased 38.1 percent and opioid deaths involving synthetic opioids rose 55.6 percent.
What is Fentanyl?
Originally intended to treat patients with severe pain following surgery, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists fentanyl as a Schedule II controlled substance, which is similar to morphine, but one-hundred times more potent. In the illegal drug market, fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs to increase their potency, often leading to dire consequences.
Fentanyl is most often mixed with drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine according to the CDC. Additionally, illicitly manufactured fentanyl (or IMF) may be found in nasal sprays, eye drops, and dropped onto paper or small candies in its liquid form. Fentanyl may also be disguised as other drugs, such as Percocet. Two additional spring breakers died on South Beach this month because they believed they were ingesting the powerful painkiller and not fentanyl.
How Does Fentanyl Affect the Body?
Similar to the effects of other opioids, a person who has ingested fentanyl may experience:
- Euphoria
- Pain Relief
- Relaxation
- Sedation
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Urinary Retention
- Pupillary Constriction
If an individual is in the throes of an overdose, the following effects may be noticeable:
- Trance-Like State
- Changes in Pupillary Size
- Cold and Clammy Skin
- Cyanosis – Blue Discoloration of the Skin
- Respiratory Failure Leading to Death
- Blackout or Coma
For more information, read our post “Opioids: Strongest Contributor To Sharp Increase In Drug Overdose Deaths”.
How Is Fentanyl Arriving In Florida?
When the Miami Herald first began reporting on the opioid epidemic in 2015, labs in China were the primary source for fentanyl and synthetic opioids. Currently, Mexican cartels have been the driving force for synthetic opioids entering the United States according to the U.S. Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking’s final report, which was published this February.
What Happens To Drug Traffickers and Peddlers?
A 2017 Florida state law made it easier to prosecute fentanyl dealers by including the potent opioid in trafficking and murder statutes. A synthetic opioid dealer may be convicted of first-degree murder under the law. In order for a fentanyl trafficker or peddler to be convicted of first-degree murder, two conditions must be present:
- The medical examiner must state with a high degree of certainty that the main cause of death was fentanyl.
- Law enforcement must prove who sold the lethal dose.
Call A Dangerous Drug Attorney
If you or a loved one has been seriously harmed or died from an opioid drug overdose, you should immediately call a dangerous drug attorney. The lawyers of Panter, Panter, and Sampedro have the experience and resources to help you recover what you deserve. For a free case review call (305) 662-6178.
Sources:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article259381569.html
https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/external_publications/EP60000/EP68838/RAND_EP68838.pdf
https://panterlaw.com/2021/12/07/opioids-overdose-deaths/
