It is known as the “zombie drug” because it can turn those who abuse it into the undead. Fentanyl is now worrying the Italian government. Used and marketed in the medical field as an anesthetic drug, it is becoming widespread as a medicine. In the United States there is a real emergency, which started with excessive prescriptions of painkillers, while in Italy this is not the case. Or rather: not yet. And the risk is there. It is for this reason that the government has decided to act preventively: today, at Palazzo Chigi, the “National Prevention Plan against the abusive use of Fentanyl” was presented. The government's attention, says Prime Minister's Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, arises from the growing interest of crime in the illegal market of this substance. In Europe, signs of developments in this direction are already appearing, notably in Portugal and Great Britain. As for our country, according to information, the 'ndrangheta is beginning to test the waters: “They are testing the market to verify the advisability of its inclusion on the market,” specifies Mantovano.
What is fentanyl and fear information on the 'Ndrangheta
Fentanyl is easily found in pharmacies and hospitals and is sold by prescription for its analgesic effects. However, if used inappropriately outside of healthcare systems, approximately 3 milligrams are enough to cause death. Therefore, in cases of abuse or if a drug dealer takes the wrong dose, consumption can prove fatal. Mantovano recalled that in 2022 in the United States, seizures of the substance reached record levels, with approximately 6 tons of powder and 59.6 million tablets. Deaths linked to fentanyl have peaked, with more than 100,000 deaths in 2022. “In our country – reports the undersecretary – in 2023 there were arrests in Plaisance for intermediation of supplies of fentanyl between China and the USA, with 18 people involved: 100 thousand doses intercepted and found hidden between the pages of certain books. » Easy to hide, often sold on the dark web and via Bitcoin: researching the fentanyl trade requires – comments Mantovano – “a great investigative effort”.
Courses for teachers and civic education for students
Hence, explains the Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci, “the importance of having a prevention plan to guarantee that where there is an increase in the circulation of this substance also in Italy, we will be ready to face the problem in the best way. Faced with the imminent threat to young people, the Minister of Education and Merit Giuseppe Valditara was also involved, who announced that prevention against the illicit dissemination of fentanyl “will be one of the pillars of the educational guidelines citizenship and specific training will be included for teachers”. Concerning the risks for young people, the Prime Minister's undersecretary closed his speech by calling on families who, according to him, should be on the lookout for “bad teachers” of their children. “Not the apologists of terrorism,” says Mantovano, “but the American rappers and trappers, whose words reach adolescents without filter and glorify their substance.”
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