Poisoning by fentanyl’: Gov. Abbott wants dealing drug to be murder crime in Texas, 2022

[dotr]

''Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday he’s going to take steps to allow someone to be prosecuted more harshly for giving non-prescription fentanyl to another person''

March 2022

‘Poisoning by fentanyl’: Gov. Abbott wants dealing drug to be murder crime in Texas

This statewide push to take direct action for what officials have called a “fentanyl crisis” comes just a week after a dramatic uptick in opiate overdoses in downtown Austin.

www.kxan.com

''AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday he’s going to take steps to allow someone to be prosecuted more harshly for giving non-prescription fentanyl to another person.

This statewide push to take direct action for what officials have called a “fentanyl crisis” comes just a week after a dramatic uptick in opiate overdoses in downtown Austin.

Abbott said while people may overdose and die after repeatedly taking opioids, that’s not always the case with fentanyl.

“They’re taking a drug, a pill for the first time, and it’ll kill them,” Abbott said. “This is not a fentanyl overdose. This is poisoning by fentanyl, which we want to make a murder crime in the state of Texas.”

Pressed pills can be laced with fentanyl, and people may not realize they’re ingesting the potentially deadly substance. That was the case for a family in Cedar Park as well as a Texas Longhorn linebacker last year.''

''Abbott blames the increase in opioids in Texas on a lack of border security.''

 

[dotr]

Video: As more Texans die from fentanyl overdoses, advocates and experts urge harm reduction policies

Alyssa Pastrana was 21 years old when she died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at her home in Abilene.

www.texastribune.org

''Texans seeking help for substance use can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free help line at 800-662-4357. They can also access services available in their region through the Texas Health and Human Services website.

One hundred thousand Americans died of drug overdoses in a single year between April 2020 and April 2021. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths increased nearly 30% from the same period the year before.

Most of these overdoses are attributed to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is lethal in very small amounts. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has doubled down on law enforcement and border security in response to the crisis. In July, he signed laws that enhance criminal penalties for manufacturing and distributing fentanyl.''

 

[LadyL]

Video: As more Texans die from fentanyl overdoses, advocates and experts urge harm reduction policies

Alyssa Pastrana was 21 years old when she died of an accidental fentanyl overdose at her home in Abilene.

www.texastribune.org

''Texans seeking help for substance use can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s free help line at 800-662-4357. They can also access services available in their region through the Texas Health and Human Services website.

One hundred thousand Americans died of drug overdoses in a single year between April 2020 and April 2021. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths increased nearly 30% from the same period the year before.

Most of these overdoses are attributed to fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is lethal in very small amounts. Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott has doubled down on law enforcement and border security in response to the crisis. In July, he signed laws that enhance criminal penalties for manufacturing and distributing fentanyl.''

[bbm]

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans age 18-45!

I never would've guessed it. Higher than car accidents. Higher than heart attacks. Higher than murder. I wonder if we have similar stats in Canada.

 

[dotr]

[bbm]

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans age 18-45!

I never would've guessed it. Higher than car accidents. Higher than heart attacks. Higher than murder. I wonder if we have similar stats in Canada.

Opioid- and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada

View the latest national update on opioid- and stimulant-related harms in Canada by the Public Health Agency of Canada on the Public Health Infobase platform.

health-infobase.canada.ca

''What: There was a total of 30,843 apparent opioid toxicity deaths between January 2016 and March 2022Footnote1Footnote2

• During the first two years of the pandemic, there was a 91% increase in apparent opioid toxicity deaths (April 2020 – March 2022, 15,134 deaths), compared to the two years before (April 2018 – March 2020, 7,906 deaths).
• A total of 1,883 apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred so far in 2022 (January – March). This is approximately 21 deaths per day. For a similar timeframe in the years prior to the pandemic, there were between 8 (in 2016) and 11 (in 2018) deaths per day.
• A number of factors may have contributed to a worsening of the overdose crisis over the course of the pandemic, including the increasingly toxic drug supply, increased feelings of isolation, stress and anxiety, and changes in the availability or accessibility of services for people who use drugs.

Where: A majority of deaths occurred in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario; increases were also observed in other regions

• Several jurisdictions have observed record-breaking numbers and rates in relation to the wider impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• So far in 2022 (January – March), 90% of all accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths occurred in British Columbia, Alberta, or Ontario.
• Elevated rates have also been observed in other areas, including Yuko

Who: Most apparent opioid toxicity deaths among young- to middle-aged males

• Males accounted for the majority of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths (76%) so far in 2022 (January – March).
• For males and for females, the majority of accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths were among individuals aged 20 to 59 years.''