A deeply disturbing photo shows the grim reality of a drug that could soon “destroy” Australia, as it did in the US, where it has been called a “killer epidemic”.
The photo shows users of fentanyl — an opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine — in Philadelphia who have been hit so hard they’ve been likened to “zombies.”
Fentanyl is prescribed for illnesses such as chronic pain, cancer and surgery, but is increasingly used by addicts seeking a high and is sometimes mixed with heroin.
This can have fatal consequences, the most famous of which is related to the death of American musician Prince in 2016.
Authorities fear what will happen if the illegal version of fentanyl gains a foothold in places like Wagga Wagga and Dubbo in NSW, where the drug ice cream is already a big problem.
A deeply disturbing photo shows the grim reality of a drug that could soon “destroy” Australia, as it did in the US, where it has been called a “killer epidemic”. Some fentanyl users in Philadelphia are so affected they’re likened to ‘zombies’ (pictured)
Since 2019, the AFP has prevented 29 kilograms – about 5.5 million lethal doses – of fentanyl from being sold on the streets of Australia. AFP and ABF agents investigate an intercepted shipment of fentanyl in Melbourne harbor
Fentanyl was linked to the death of American musician Prince (pictured) in 2016
“If non-pharmaceutical fentanyl gets into those rural areas, it will destroy them,” said Alex Caruana of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Association. news.com.au.
He said if Fentanyl is used prominently it will cost the government enormously to fight it.
Since 2019, the AFP has prevented 29 kilograms – about 5.5 million lethal doses – of fentanyl from being sold on the streets of Australia.
Eleven kilos of that came in December 2021 in just one arrest at Melbourne Harbor, when agents from the AFP and Australian Border Force (ABF) seized more than 11kg of pure powdered fentanyl.
The shipment, sent from Canada, saw the drug crammed into military-grade ammunition boxes, with police rebuffing the attempt to bring it in.
ABF commander James Watson said the discovery was an “extraordinary” amount.
“We were absolutely shocked by the magnitude of the detection and the brutality of the import attempt,” said Commander Watson. The age.
“I would describe it as a total act of bastardy, frankly. The impact of this on our community, if it had hit the streets… you don’t want to think about that.
Mr Caruana said fentanyl is not only potentially deadly to those using it illegally, but could also be very dangerous to authorities handling it at borders.
“It’s common knowledge that when fentanyl powder becomes airborne, people react to it differently,” he said.
“So you may only need to inhale a very small amount, I’m talking about a lot less than a gram, before it kills you.”
“If non-pharmaceutical fentanyl gets into rural areas it will destroy them,” said Alex Caruana (pictured) of the Australian Federal Police Association
11.2 kg of pure fentanyl (pictured) was intercepted during a shipment from Canada to Australia
The drug is mostly used for medical purposes in Australia, but abroad it is sometimes adulterated with heroin, often with fatal consequences
In the two decades from 2001 to 2021, there were 833 deaths related to fentanyl in Australia, the Alcohol and Drugs Foundation reported.
Pharmaceutical fentanyl (used in prescriptions) was the cause of 93 percent of those deaths, four percent attributed to illegally produced fentanyl and three percent to fentanyl mixed with other drugs, such as heroin.
However, the problem is much more sophisticated in the US, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting Fentanyl played an important role in this 105,452 overdose deaths in 2022 alone.
These are the kinds of horror figures the AFP and ABF want to prevent from ever happening in Australia.