Town Square

Deadly Fentanyl contaminants found in various drugs, not just heroin

The potent synthetic opioid Fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than morphine, is now the primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States.

| Posted on (Last Updated: )
Elise Amendola/AP Photo
FILE – This July 23, 2018 file photo shows packets of buprenorphine, a drug which controls heroin and opioid cravings, in Greenfield, Mass. The U.S. government is easing requirements that made it difficult for doctors to treat opioid addiction using the medication. New guidelines announced Tuesday, April 27, 2021, mean doctors will no longer need eight hours of training to prescribe buprenorphine.

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Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk.

Synthetic opioids are the primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States. They are considered the deadliest drug crisis in American history, killing about 90 Americans per day,

One of the causes is the potent synthetic opioid Fentanyl, which is 100 times more potent than Morphine, making it easier to overdose on.

In 2019, there were 307 deaths from opioid-related drug overdoses in Harris County alone.

According to data by the Houston Emergency Response Opioid Engagement System, there's an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 Houstonians currently suffering from opioid addiction.

Experts are here to talk about overdose and addiction– and the health and policy implications surrounding it.

Listeners share their stories of addiction and recovery, as well as concerns for the currently legal substance kratom.

Experts

Jessica Yeager

Dr. Noelle Anastasio

Mary Beck

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day's most important and pressing issues.

Audio from today’s show will be available after 5 p.m. CT. We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

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