Drug Barons Plan To Introduce Lethal Synthetic Opioid, Fentanyl, 100 Times Stronger Than Tramadol Into Nigeria—NDLEA

<h4>Drug Barons Plan To Introduce Lethal Synthetic Opioid&comma; Fentanyl Into Nigeria<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;"alignnone size-medium wp-image-17930" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2022&sol;11&sol;ggggg-300x169&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Drug Barons Plan To Introduce Lethal Synthetic " width&equals;"300" height&equals;"169" &sol;><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency&comma; NDLEA&comma; says it has uncovered plans by some unscrupulous elements to introduce a lethal synthetic opioid&comma; Fentanyl&comma; which is 100 times stronger than Tramadol into the Nigerian market&comma; warning that the illicitly manufactured drug is capable of causing mass casualty among the youth population being targeted by the cartels&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;This is contained in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi&comma; Director&comma; Media &amp&semi; Advocacy and made available to journalists&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;According to Femi&comma; the anti-narcotics agency in a statement on Friday said every step must be taken to ensure that the drug which is <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;punchng&period;com&sol;">currently responsible for over 70&percnt; overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US<&sol;a> is not allowed to circulate in Nigeria because of its lethality and the current drug abuse prevalence of 14&period;4&percnt; in the country&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We are not unaware of desperate efforts by some drug cartels to introduce to the Nigerian market&comma; Fentanyl&comma; which according to the CDC&comma; is 80 times as potent as morphine and 100 times more potent than heroin&period; This&comma; they plan to do either in liquid or powder form and&sol;or with misleading labels to target our youth population&period; This they may also mix with other prescription drugs&period; The illegally manufactured fentanyl in its liquid form can come in nasal sprays&comma; eye drops&comma; or small candies&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;As a result&comma; parents and other stakeholders are advised to be vigilant&comma; alert and warn their young ones against attempting experimenting with this illicit substance&period; Symptoms for fentanyl exposure and&sol;or overdose include pinpoint pupils&comma; falling asleep or losing consciousness&comma; slow and shallow breathing&comma; choking or gurgling sounds&comma; limp body&comma; and pale&comma; blue&comma; or cold skin”&comma; the NDLEA stated&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The Agency wishes to assure the public that all necessary assets have been deployed to monitor the cartels involved in this latest threat to public health with a view to frustrating their criminal plot and make them face the wrath of the law&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;