A new compound known as “iso” is the latest example of synthetic opioids that are cropping up in U.S. overdose deaths. Credit: SoQ錫濛譙, Creative Commons
A record number of Americans died from drug overdoses last year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the 12-month period ending in September 2020, drug-related casualties surged nearly 30 percent to reach 87,000.
Health experts attribute the rise in casualties to increased drug use during the Covid-19 pandemic, as more Americans suffered through long periods of stress and isolation. But they are also warning of a troubling trend that has emerged: the popularity of a new synthetic form of highly addictive opioids.
Data: CDC Wonder
Last August, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.) issued a warning about Isotonitazene, or ‘iso’ as the opioid is commonly called, and temporarily categorized it as a ‘Schedule I’ substance — meaning that it has high potential for abuse and has no accepted medical application.
“The availability of synthetic opioids in the illicit drug market continues to pose an imminent hazard to the public safet
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
The guanxi game has defined China's modern business culture — and no one played it better than Xu Jiayin, the CEO of Evergrande. Now, however, the game seems to have changed on him.
The member of European Parliament talks about being sanctioned, a new EU Taiwan report, and why the CAI was a slap in the face of the incoming Biden administration.
