Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Vanila M. Email: vanila stanford. Keywords: adulterants, pharmacological active components, opioid crisis, illicit fentanyl, opioids, cocaine. Drug overdose deaths in the United States are a substantial public health issue. Also during this period, death rates associated with cocaine and psychostimulants increased by These components are added during the illicit manufacturing process to either increase the bulk of the product or enhance the potency of the primary active component, are known as adulterants or cutting agents, and can themselves be toxic.
In this Executive Perspective , we review data on the opioid crisis and describe recent US and global trends in the role of toxic adulterants and other pharmacologically active components in illicitly manufactured street drugs. We also highlight the role of toxic adulterants in opioid-related overdose deaths, chronic illicit drug abuse, and other public health issues. Finally, based on the information provided, we propose that clinicians increase attention to the potential role of toxic adulterants when evaluating and treating patients involved in drug abuse, overdose death, and addiction and that future public and personal health responses to the opioid epidemic emphasize building awareness and knowledge about the presence and dangers of toxic adulterants.
In this way, we can further highlight the need to aggressively decrease the supply of illicitly manufactured drugs. Addressing the US opioid crisis involves taking an in-depth look at data on legal opioid prescribing, licit and illicit use of opioids by patients for pain and addiction, and overdose deaths.
According to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the misuse of prescription opioids is declining. Other evidence also suggests that the current opioid epidemic is more complex than was originally recognized, in large part because it involves far more than the previously described drugs eg, fentanyl, prescription opioids.
This illicitly manufactured fentanyl is now being mixed with counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, heroin, and cocaine. At the same time, illicitly manufactured drugs can increasingly contain various other pharmacologically active components, in addition to cocaine and heroin.
