Arrival of killer fentanyl drug could cause 'significant rise' in overdose deaths
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Ireland could see a “significant rise” in overdose deaths if the synthetic opiate, fentanyl, is introduced to the Irish market by criminal gangs, a drug expert has warned.
It follows revelations, as detailed on Monday by the , that Irish and European drug bosses have travelled to South America to discuss the logistics of importing fentanyl into Europe and Ireland.
Gangs involved in wholesale trafficking are actively planning to provide a substitute for heroin following a major crackdown in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime on the production of opium, from which heroin is produced.
The European criminal consortium, involving a long-running west Dublin gang that has dominated the heroin trade in Ireland for decades, has held discussions with cartels in Mexico, including the notorious Sinaloa cartel. The Sinaloa cartel, formerly led by now jailed Joacquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, are specialists in the production and supply of fentanyl into the US market.
The developments follow confirmation at the weekend at the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use that Irish criminal bosses were looking at sourcing fentanyl.
Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said: “We are satisfied that Irish criminal networks have been considering the supply of fentanyl into the Irish market.”
Fentanyl, estimated to be at least 50 times more powerful than heroin, has been at the forefront of the devastating opiate epidemic in the US.
Chief Supt Boland said:
He said preliminary statistics from the US for 2022 indicated there were 109,000 deaths linked to synthetic opiates, primarily fentanyl.
The reported last Friday that HSE chiefs have been making preparations for any emergence of synthetic opiates if there is a heroin shortage.
Tony Duffin of Ana Liffey Project, a voluntary addiction service working in Dublin and Limerick, said that if there is a shortage of heroin some people might seek out alternative and potentially dangerous substances.
“It's important that we prepare for this possibility and ensure that we have the capacity to get people into treatment if they are asking for it,” he said. “However, we must also be aware that if dealers introduce fentanyl to the illicit drug market, we could see a significant increase in overdose rates.”
He said there were a number of options, including the provision of Naloxone, an opiate antidote, locally accessible treatment services, providing overdose prevention centres which would include smoking rooms, and expanding accessible drug-checking.
Sinn Féin Cork North Central TD Thomas Gould said: “This is extremely worrying news for those working in the addiction sector, for those with vulnerable family members and for broader communities.”
“We need a pro-active approach that recognises local trends and tries to minimise any potential harm caused by fentanyl. This must be coupled with an increased education system in schools that allows young people access to drug counsellors where they are needed."
Commending the work of gardaí, he added: “Increasing Taskforce funding, and creating a system of autonomy by recognising the expertise on the ground is the only way to ensure that communities, families and individuals can be protected from the potential harms of drugs such as fentanyl.”
Sources have explained to the that criminals in Ireland, along with European networks, have travelled to South America and have engaged with cartels there and held discussions on supplying fentanyl to Europe.
They have been examining options in the event that the Taliban crackdown on opium results in a shortage of heroin. The discussions centre on the viability of importing fentanyl to Europe.