Doctors and policymakers tend to speak of opioid painkillers in terms of their potency in relation to morphine. Morphine is one of the oldest opium-derived drugs; in the nineteenth century, doctors used to use it for everything from sedation for surgery to an ingredient in cough syrup that anyone could buy from the local drugstore. Heroin, the very definition of a schedule I controlled substance, too dangerous to be legal, is approximately 50 times as strong as morphine. In the 20th century and beyond, synthetic opioids have been developed, some of which are even stronger. The most notorious of these is fentanyl, which is twice as strong as heroin and 100 times as strong as morphine. It is a schedule II controlled substance, used intravenously during some surgeries and in transdermal patches for pain relief. Illegally purchased fentanyl is the cause of more overdose deaths than any other drug, usually because it has been mixed into drug powders and pressed into counterfeit pills without the consumer’s knowledge. Fentanyl is not the only drug responsible for scary spikes in overdoses, though. If you are being accused with possession or distribution of any illegal drug, contact a Clintwood criminal defense lawyer.
Nitazenes: Opioids So Powerful They Have Never Been Approved for Medical Use
Nitazenes are not new; this category of opioids was first synthesized in the 1960s, but they are so strong and so dangerous that none of them has ever received FDA approval, even stronger than fentanyl. This year, the CDC reported that nitazenes as adulterants are much more widespread in the U.S. drug supply than previously realized; they have been detected in forensic tests in Washington, D.C. and Tennessee, in addition to other locations. According to the CDC, it is difficult to know the exact extent of nitazene use because forensics labs have only recently begun testing for them.
Xylazine: A Veterinary Tranquilizer
The FDA has never approved xylazine for use in humans, but it is widely used as an anesthetic for a wide variety of animals, from mice to livestock. Therefore, it does not count as a controlled substance. Xylazine can be deadly with or without opioids, because it is a central nervous system depressant that, unlike opioids, does not respond to treatment with naloxone.
Over-the-Counter Antihistamines?
Antihistamines, used to treat allergies and cold symptoms, are available over-the-counter; if you have recently taken Claritin or Benadryl, you might be under the influence of them right now. Overdose on antihistamines alone is very rare, but another recent CDC report showed that 15 percent of victims of fatal opioid overdoses in 2019 and 2020 also had antihistamines in their bloodstream. The CDC hypothesizes that these victims took antihistamines for allergies or to treat opioid-induced itching and were unaware of the dangerous interaction with opioids.
Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC About Drug Cases
The lawyers at Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC serve the southwestern Virginia community in criminal defense cases and other areas of the law. Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC to set up a consultation.