[–] LesserEntropyMachine 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
A part of it is that China manufactures a lot of drugs and analog drugs for sale on the dark web. Some of these are versions of other drugs (analogs of common drugs like LSD that skirt international law). Fentanyl is a very dangerous drug because it takes so very little to overdose or kill someone. In terms of op sec for the purchase of illicit drugs, having something that can land (make it to the destination) is key. So having to buy 1g of fentanyl vs hundreds of grams of say, heroin, it is much easier to smuggle. Many users do not realize that they have taken fent vs another drug until it's too late, so shady dealers are using it to cut their more expensive products. It's a flighty powder, which means even weighing it out or handling it can be risky as hell and can lead to accidental death. But it is cheap, and China doesn't care who buys it or how it's going to be used. So it's come full force in to America as the war on opiates is happening. It's a replacement that is dirt cheap, somewhat mirrors some of the effects of opiates, and can be easily shipped. Plus, as a weapon of mass injury, it has the potential to kill millions in the case of a terror attack. That is the long explanation of why it has become so big so quickly and why it is on the radar of officials. Source: I've worked for online drug harm reduction where online purchases of these drugs are common and users come in to find out what to do or how to be safe.
[–] kingdomhearts123 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
Afghan dope flooded Asia and pushed down price.. adding fentanyl to the mix to capture market share is like adding marshmallows in kids breakfast cereals