Dangers of Drugs at an All-Time High with the Start of a New Decade
As we enter a new decade, business models for numerous industries are trying to keep up with the ever-evolving technologies that dictate how consumers choose to spend their money. There is one business model that is trying to keep up on an alarming trend when it comes to illicit drugs on the black market; highly concentrated, highly potent drugs with cheaper price tags. The best stuff for the best price is hardly a new concept for an addict. The problem we are seeing now is that the drugs that are now qualifying as the “best stuff” are being manufactured somewhere in a lab by the lowest bidder.
Crystal meth seems to be everywhere these days, and it has become so common in the circle of addicts that none of them seem to mind that they are putting a collection of chemicals into their bodies that could contain anything. Because of the drug’s popularity, wannabe chemists all over the world are attempting to perfect their formulas with one goal in mind, a powerful kick that will spread word-of-mouth and bring in the dollars. These chemicals, while highly addictive, aren’t very expensive, and meth, in turn, is not a difficult drug to locate. In my experience, it wasn’t all that difficult for an addict to scrape enough cash together to find themselves a week letter in a full-blown, sleep-deprived psychosis. There is no telling when a meth binge will end, how many sleepless nights it will entail, or how many risky and poor decisions will be made without one consequential or rational thought.
In the mind of the opiate addict living in constant fear of painful withdrawal, there is less and less incentive to continue purchasing expensive painkillers off the street when they blow through their prescription if they even have one. While this initially created a huge comeback for heroin, it too had a steep price tag for anything that hadn’t been ripped apart through the cutting board. Enter fentanyl, another synthetic drug being manufactured, a drug so potent it is said to be up to 100 times stronger than morphine. It can easily be disguised as grade-A heroin while also being a convenient tool for lacing meth and cocaine for both an added kick and hook. This is especially dangerous for the unsuspecting meth or coke user, as consuming something like fentanyl without any tolerance to opiates is the quickest way to an overdose.
Because illicit drugs such as meth and fentanyl are part of a booming illegal enterprise, there are no regulations, or testing’s done for safety, no checks for quality or potency. They are manufactured and produced with one goal in mind. The bottom line, with everybody in the industry chasing the strongest drug for the cheapest price, while the addicts, the consumers, continue to be completely out of their line of sight when it comes to the dangers of the drugs they put on the street. For decades there has been a fear and paranoia that has existed with booming technology, that one day it’s capabilities would fall in the wrong hands, and something akin to a nuclear holocaust would be our downfall. While that fear rages on, the nuclear bomb that has destroyed millions of lives across the world and ripped through countless families has already occurred.
I’m not sure the availability of these drugs and the increasing dangers they present is a train that will be able to be slowed down anytime soon. It’s more of a reason than ever before to get the help that is needed if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction. Technology isn’t making drugs safer; it’s making them stronger. If you or anyone you know needs help, please reach out.
