The whole world is at war on drugs. According to an annual report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), about 284 million of the world's 15-64-year-olds are using drugs as of 2020. This is a 26% increase from a decade ago. Meanwhile, the number of deaths from drugs in 2020 is about 495,400.
The problem is that the increase shows no signs of slowing down. UNODC said that due to social distancing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, depressed, anxious, and lethargic people began to touch drugs, increasing demand for drugs, and in addition, manufacturing plants that manufacture drugs have spread around the world.
Substance misuse in the United States becoming serious
The United States is the country hardest hit by increased drug misuse worldwide. In particular, misuse of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller for severely ill patients, is seriously making American society ill. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl misuse has risen to the top cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 49. Looking closely at the report, 75,000 people died from fentanyl overdoses during the year from February 2021 to February 2022. More people died from fentanyl misuse than from suicide and traffic accidents.
As the problem of fentanyl misuse in American society became so serious, U.S. President Biden began a massive crackdown, warning that "illegal drugs are widely distributed and drug sales through the Internet are increasing." As a result, in December 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration confiscated about 50 million fentanyl pills and about 450 kilograms of powder that were not officially prescribed. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the amount seized was 379 million doses on a lethal basis, enough to kill all 330,000 Americans.
However, the problem of drug misuse, which is still deeply rooted in American society, is not being solved. According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 8th (local time), the number of cases of misuse of xylazine, an animal sedative, is increasing rapidly among U.S. drug addicts by mixing it with existing drugs such as fentanyl.
Xylazine is an animal drug developed in 1962 and is commonly used in countries around the world as an anesthetic for horses and cows or as a pet vomiting inducer. It is also widely used in Korea, and last year in Sangju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, a Jindo dog that was wandering around the village with a leash loose was killed by a Xyla anesthetic gun shot by a rescue worker who was dispatched after receiving a report. Drug addicts are using drugs that are dangerous if they are used incorrectly on animals for their original purpose.
According to the NYT, drug addicts mix xylidine with existing drugs such as fentanyl and injections. In this case, the tissue of the limbs inserted with the syringe is necrotized, resulting in dead swelling tissue, which can lead to a situation in which the limbs have to be amputated if left untreated in time. In addition, if you take xylazine mixed drugs, you will lose your mind for a long time, at which time you are likely to be exposed to other crimes such as sexual assault and robbery. In addition, when you wake up from the drug and come to your senses, the effect of the drug disappears, resulting in a desire to take more drugs. In addition, when xylazine is used in combination with opioids, it is highly likely that general emergency treatment used to treat drug misuse, such as the administration of Naloxone, will be impossible.
According to a report by the NYT, the current problem of Xyla is appearing throughout the United States. Recent data from Philadelphia in the U.S. cited by the NYT in an article revealed that more than 90% of drugs distributed in Philadelphia contain xylazine. For reference, Philadelphia, the fifth-largest city in the United States, is currently one of the most drug distribution and drug addicts, and is nicknamed Heroin Walmart in the United States. In addition, according to data released in June last year by researchers at NMS LABs in the U.S., xylazine was detected in drugs distributed in 36 U.S. states, including New York and Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, no case of drug misuse using xylazine has been detected in Korea. However, news about drug abuse continues to be exposed to the media. It is a very bitter situation considering the past when it was a drug-free country. According to the 2020 Narcotics Crime White Paper released by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the number of drug offenders caught in Korea in 2020 was 18,050, the highest ever. Accordingly, the current Korean government has declared a war on drugs in earnest and is launching a strong crackdown with the aim of eradicating drugs.
Writer: Yeyoung Jeon
(Picture from Unsplash)
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