KILLER DRUG
Donald Trump praises China for executing drug dealers selling fentanyl saying he ‘appreciates it very much’
Much of the powerful drug fentanyl in the US comes from China
DONALD Trump has praised China for executing drug dealers who sell fentanyl – an opioid said to be 50 times stronger than heroin.
Mr Trump said he “appreciates” the country’s policy while also complimenting China for upgrading the status of fentanyl.
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While speaking at the Rx Drug Abuse Summit in Altanta, Georgia yesterday he said: “They’re going to make it a major crime. It’s not a crime now.
“It’s down as an industrial drug, and they're going to make it a crime.”
He added his appreciation of China’s policy of capital punishment for drug dealers.
Mr Trump said: “They're going to charge people with the highest level of crime.
“And in China, unlike in our country, the highest level of crime is very, very high.
“It’s the ultimate. You pay the ultimate price. So I appreciate that very much.”
DRUG CRISIS
The US is currently gripped by an opioid crisis and fentanyl is one of the culprits.
The drug is said to provide intense relief from severe pain, but in a recreational setting it can be deadly.
Ariana Grande's ex-boyfriend Mac Miller and pop legend Prince died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl and other drugs.
Much of the fentanyl found in the US originates from China.
But it is often smuggled through Mexico and then pressed into pills.
Authorities have found inconsistencies in the doses of fentanyl contained in the same batch of pills.
Mexican cartels also produce the drug from precursor chemicals, mainly imported from China.
Amnesty International has listed China as one of at least four countries that execute criminals for drug-related offences, .
The Department for Homeland Security now fears fentanyl has the potential to cause "mass casualty effects".
Almost 400,000 people have died from opioids over the last 20 years, according to official statistics.
And 40,000 deaths took place in 2017 alone.
However, Mr Trump claimed that figure is much higher.
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He said: “Each year, more than 70,000 precious American lives are lost to the opioid and drug crisis.
“In my opinion, the number is much higher than that.”
Fentanyl was first created in the 1960s as a treatment for cancer pain and a more powerful form, carfentanyl, is used to tranquilise elephants.
What is Fentanyl? The drug nicknamed 'Drop Dead'
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What is fentanyl?
- Fentanyl is a strong opiod painkiller that is used by many patients around the world suffering from chronic conditions.
- It works by stopping pain signals being sent to the nerves in the brain, meaning users do not suffer any discomfort.
- Due to its strength, it is highly controlled by doctors and pharmacists and cannot be prescribed for children.
- It can be administered in patch form or can be injected into the body via a needle or a drip.
- Like most drugs, there is a high risk of overdosing on Fentanyl if you take more than the recommended dose.
- And due to the drug being a powerful opoid, overdosing on it can prove to be fatal.
- Police in cities across the US and Canada are also seeing people become hooked on the drug due to its highly-addictive nature.
- Some even combine the drug with heroin or cocaine to create an even more potent formula, that heightens it effect of feeling relaxed.
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