I’m also strongly interested in this research topic — note that although the problem is worst in the U.S., the availability and affordability of fentanyl (which appears to be driving OD deaths) suggests that this could easily spread to LMICs in the medium-term, suggesting that preventive measures such as vaccines could even be cost-effective by traditional metrics.
totally agree—i think fentanyl is rightly understood as a huge a new threat, but i dont think there’s a realization generally that fentanyl is essentially a technological advancement. much stronger, much smaller, cheaper. makes efforts to prevent drug trafficking much harder and makes harm reduction and social interventions much more difficult as well. we beat cigarettes largely with price increases, fentanyl is a price decrease. also it has shorter half life than heroin so people use it more often every day, which creates all sorts of other risks. all of this is to say—yes, fentanyl seems more likely to spread to countries that have been ok so far.
I’m also strongly interested in this research topic — note that although the problem is worst in the U.S., the availability and affordability of fentanyl (which appears to be driving OD deaths) suggests that this could easily spread to LMICs in the medium-term, suggesting that preventive measures such as vaccines could even be cost-effective by traditional metrics.
totally agree—i think fentanyl is rightly understood as a huge a new threat, but i dont think there’s a realization generally that fentanyl is essentially a technological advancement. much stronger, much smaller, cheaper. makes efforts to prevent drug trafficking much harder and makes harm reduction and social interventions much more difficult as well. we beat cigarettes largely with price increases, fentanyl is a price decrease. also it has shorter half life than heroin so people use it more often every day, which creates all sorts of other risks. all of this is to say—yes, fentanyl seems more likely to spread to countries that have been ok so far.