The drugs flowing into the U.S. are changing more in their mix than in their amount, according to CFSRE’s NPS Discovery experts. “The nitazene analogs have replaced the fentanyl analogs,” Krotulski said, “but they are not replacing fentanyl itself. There is no indication that anything is replacing the amount of fentanyl across the country right now.”
Despite the restrictions on the fentanyl analogs, the continuing presence of fentanyl itself, combined with the emergence of nitazene analogs, means the overall state of illicit drug use in the U.S. “is definitely moving in a worse direction,” Krotulski said.
NPS Discovery hopes to strengthen its collaborations with the DEA to share emerging drug data. “We have data on the health impacts and the deaths associated with these new drugs and that is reflected in the DEA files,” Logan said. “We’re optimistic that there will be more opportunities for collaboration.”
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