Positive thinking

Craig McKenzie, University of Dundee and Niamh Nic Daeid, University of Dundee Could fentanyl, a synthetic opioid painkiller that has been linked to an alarming increase in drug overdose deaths in North America , now be gaining a foothold in the UK? Drugs-related deaths are increasing in the UK, and the issue of fentanyl and its chemical relatives (or analogues, known as fentanils) require specific attention due to their potential for harm, having already killed thousands in the US including, in the form of a fake prescription drug, the singer Prince . Fentanyl is used in medicine as a strong, low-dose, short-duration, fast-acting pain reliever. But its potency and the perceived ease of smuggling it have made it attractive to illegal drug suppliers interested in profit margins, with little concern for users. In the UK, fentanyl is appearing as an additive in street heroin. Fentanils, and other controlled psychoactive substances such as the synthetic cannabinoids foun...