A fentanyl epidemic is raging in the USA. But more and more experts are warning that the substance is not only dangerous for drug addicts. Donna J. Nelson, a chemist at Oklahoma University and a fentanyl specialist, explains how realistic a terrorist attack would be with this.
Ms. Nelson, what makes fentanyl so dangerous?
The material is incredibly effective. Fentanyl is 100 to 200 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams is enough to kill a person. These are just a few crumbs. It’s also very cheap, cheaper than heroin. The dealers make a lot of money with this. It can be bought everywhere on the street. Fentanyl is addictive much more quickly than other drugs. That’s why it’s so popular with dealers. In addition, it is hardly recognizable as fentanyl. People think they’re buying heroin, but it’s fentaneous, and then they die of an overdose. There are also cases where fentanyl has been mixed with other drugs.