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 safety
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