The Ministry of Health raises alarm over possible spread of Fentanyl in Italy
A note from the Ministry of Health signed by the director of prevention Francesco Vaia has been sent to the Health Department of Sardinia and all other regions in Italy, reporting the raising of the alert to level 3 for the possible spread of Fentanyl in the country.
The alarm was raised by the National Drug Rapid Alert System, coordinated by the Department for Anti-Drug Policies, after Fentanyl was confirmed as a cutting substance in a dose of heroin seized a few weeks ago in the Perugia area. This marked the first official confirmation of the presence of Fentanyl in Italy.
According to the Ministry of Interior’s “Antidrug” website, Fentanyl is an analgesic with a potency at least 80 times greater than that of morphine. It is used as an anesthetic and analgesic in both medicine and veterinary medicine. Fentanyl and its derivatives are subject to international control, with illicitly synthesized versions such as 3-methylFentanyl being sold as “synthetic heroin” or mixed with heroin.
In Italy, from 2018 to 2023, 123 grams and 28 tablets of Fentanyl were seized, along with the synthetic opioid being found in 41 other packaging. The ministry’s alarm has now been extended to Sardinia, where the new and fearsome drug, very widespread in the United States, is unfortunately not unknown.
Last year, Cagliari was identified as the city with the highest “mass load” figure of Fentanyl and Mefredone in its sewers out of 19 cities across the country. This data was revealed in an analysis conducted by the Mario Negri Pharmacological Research Institute as part of a national investigation into the use of new psychoactive substances in Italy.
The Ministry of Health‘s warning serves as a precautionary measure to prevent the further spread and potential harm of Fentanyl in Italy. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing situation.
(Unioneonline/lf)
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