Oftentimes, we have heard news about the opioid crisis in America that is causing more deaths than ever. It seems to be a developed world problem as countries like Australia and New Zealand are also being hit hard by this issue. What is the story behind this and is this the next big problem for millennials and Asia in particular?
The crisis has snowballed into a much bigger crisis because technically, the supply of such drugs is unlimited as most of them are man-made and are also customizable to individual users. It used to be that law enforcement officers can try to stop drugs at the production point (eg. heroin, cocaine – destroy plantations and hold certain countries like Colombia responsible) from natural plant-based sources but what if they can be made in the basement of any house in the world using easily available chemicals now???
The explosion of this problem can be traced down to a popular TV series that started in 2008 called “Breaking Bad” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad . This was the sad story of a Chemistry teacher that was trying hard to make ends meet and stumbled into an alternative career path by accident. With his knowledge in chemical engineering, he was able to manufacture high quality “meth” (methamphetamine – a synthetic drug) which drug dealers soon came knocking at his door, constantly telling him to increase production as demand shot through the roof. This journey soon spiralled out of control and drug lords literally destroyed his family and the friends he treasured.
This hit TV series which ended in 2013 sparked an entrepreneur light bulb in many parts of the world as a possible upcoming business opportunity. One could easily do an online mail order service to anywhere in the world from one’s basement laboratory. Soon, countries like Australia faced an avalanche of synthetic drugs from China which they could not control https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-05-22/deadly-chinese-fentanyl-is-creating-a-new-era-of-drug-kingpins
Imagine that you can do a mail order for a custom-made synthetic drug that suits your liking. These drugs get more and more potent and some are even 50 times stronger than heroin! Just tick your preferences from a checklist like ordering a salad and Viola! the end product is delivered to your apartment from any part of the world’s home chemical labs. This becomes an addicts nirvana dream come true as they demand higher highs until the body hits a brick wall and collapses.
Singers Michael Jackson and Prince are prime high profile casualty cases in recent years that involved fentanyl, another synthetic drug. George Michael might also have been abusing himself on these recreational drugs for years. Because they are so strong now, an extra gram may just tip you over the line easily. The quality of the product is also suspect if you obtain it from an unknown illegal source. If you are using it alone, the after effects might just kill you on the spot with no one to help in time. Even with friends around, it may be too late.
Just a few weeks ago, a friend told me about the unfortunate story of a perfectly healthy young mother who was with friends in Bali and passed away suddenly in a club during a night of partying. They might have participated in party drugs which were impure or had an accidental overdose. Previously, people were buying Ecstasy in clubs to get a party high but drug pushers can now recommend “better” ones which can easily kill a horse if you are not careful. The cautionary advice is to not accept any drinks from strangers nor buy any drugs at all as you do not know the source and they might be contaminated.
In America, many are innocently hooked onto such drugs as pharmaceutical companies were aggressively pushing them out to doctors as the miracle painkiller solution. Little did the patients know that they may become addicted to it and forced to consume more until they collapse from an overdose. It has become an epidemic problem that is running out of control as more young people become hooked on it and cannot get out of the spiralling hole they fall into.
This is a crisis that is coming to the rest of the world as the pill-popping culture is becoming a norm – there is a pill solution for every problem you might have. Instant gratification is the way to go for millennials. Weed/Marijuana/Cannabis is even legal in some countries now as people get desensitized to what was a no-no previously. The only possible prevention is to constantly educate yourself to be aware of these dangers and actively avoid them.
In America, the government has to first recognise the problem and punish the pharmaceutical companies who have been guilty of aggressively courting many innocent victims in a push for profits. Funds have to be invested to set up programs for patients who have been identified as addicts so that they can have a structured program to wean themselves off these drugs.
As the crisis spreads around the world, all governments should work together to set global taskforces to tackle this impending future catastrophe.
Leave a Reply