Fentanyl: The deadly epidemic that blocks breathing

What is fentanyl and why is it so dangerous?

Fentanyl is becoming a serious public health threat, with experts from the Military Medical Academy (MMA) defining it not just as a risk, but as an epidemic. According to anesthesiologist Simon Azhderyan, the main danger in its use is the fatal suppression of breathing, which leads to respiratory failure.

"No one reaches for drugs to become an addict or to stop breathing. All opiates initially have a very relaxing physical and psychological effect," explains Assoc. Prof. Lyudmila Neykova, head of the Toxicology Clinic at the MMA.

Specifics of the drug

• Colorless and odorless: Fentanyl is extremely difficult to detect, which makes it easy to conceal within other substances.
• Potency and combinations: Mixing it with other substances does not reduce its power, but often aims to amplify specific effects.
• Ease of production: Experts warn that the substance can even be produced by someone with an average level of chemical literacy.

Challenges for emergency services

Although ambulances are equipped with an antidote that competes with opiates for receptors in the brain, fentanyl presents medics with new challenges. While one ampoule is needed for heroin, five to ten ampoules are required for fentanyl intoxication to neutralize the effect within a critically small time interval.

State measures against distribution

The Ministry of Interior is undertaking large-scale actions against organized crime, with the busting of a production facility in the "Filipovtsi" district being a key step towards limiting supply. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev emphasized that the state will use all its resources to stop drug traffickers and ensure the safety of adolescents.