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| Weapon of mass destruction is also part of the opioid crisis | |
| 2017-11-25 | |
Former CIA acting director says the threat the opioid crisis poses extends beyond public health: it is a national security threat. Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid, is highly toxic. The drug is 10,000 times stronger than morphine and 5,000 times more potent than heroin. Only 20 micrograms, roughly the size of a grain of salt, can be fatal. Recently drug dealers have learned to cut carfentanil into the heroin they sell to increase the "high" and to increase profits, since carfentanyl is much cheaper than heroin. The drug is largely produced in China by thousands of small chemical firms and shipped either through Mexico and Canada to the United States or directly through the mail system, often after an order is placed online. It is also produced by drug cartels in Mexico (with key ingredients imported from China). In June 2016, Canadian Mounties seized one kilogram of carfentanil. The agent was sent via mail from China to an address in Canada, and it was hidden in a package labeled printer accessories. It was the largest seizure of carfentanil to date. Canadian authorities said this amount was enough to kill the entire population of Canada. Carfentanil is a perfect weapon of mass destruction. It is readily available in large quantities. It comes in several forms ‐ including tablets, powder, and spray. It can be absorbed through the skin or by inhalation. It acts and kills quickly. Peter Ostrovsky, a senior official of the Immigration and Customs Service, said last fall, "Could it be weaponized? Yeah, it could be weaponized." In short, a single terrorist attack using carfentanil could kill thousands of Americans. There has been little or no public discussion of this obvious risk, beyond the toll exacted from day to day in the "opoid crisis". | |
| Posted by:Anguper Hupomosing9418 |
| #2 Opioids are weapons of mass destruction regardless of how they get to the U.S. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2017-11-25 07:34 |
| #1 The drug is largely produced in China by thousands of small chemical firms "Opium war, the revenge"? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-11-25 02:57 |