Preliminary research shows people are using fentanyl, a lab-made opioid over 30 times as potent as heroin, responsible for thousands of deaths in the US.
People in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have tested positive for fentanyl, a lab-made painkiller that has been at the centre of the opioid crisis in the United States . In the US, fentanyl has causedUp until recently, South Africa appeared to be insulated from the illicit fentanyl crisis. But preliminary research suggests the drug has made its way onto our streets. The study is still ongoing, but lead researcher Dr Alanna Bergman provided GroundUp with information about the findings so far.
Bergman was asked to step in to conduct voluntary drug testing at the clinics. In line with the expectations of nurses, Bergman’s tests found that 60 out of 100 patients tested positive for illicit drugs of some kind and 32 tested positive for fentanyl specifically. Bergman’s research is some of the first direct testing showing fentanyl use in South Africa. But there have already been signs of a brewing problem. One is a largely overlooked, which tested wastewater at several treatment plants in Gauteng. It found biological markers for fentanyl in the sewage at each plant.Fentanyl is an opioid medication . It was developed as a strong painkiller, and can be taken as a pill, patch, lozenge or via injection.the potency of heroin, it can be deadly.
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