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The old adage says that a dog is the best friend of a man (or a woman). Well, that is certainly the case when his human is working for the US Customs and Border Patrol and his job is to find drugs trying to enter the country illegally. That's what happened to a port in Philadelphia last week, reports Fox7Austin .
With this dog, the agents found 110 pounds of fentanyl opioid mortal during routine screening at the Port Area of Philadelphia. They revealed that these drugs had been shipped from China. The amazing agent of K9 narcotics detectors found the fentanyl hiding in iron oxide barrels, with 50 packets of white and powdery substance contained in sealed bags. The estimated value of the drug, if it hit the street, was estimated at $ 1.7 million.
"CPB says their fentanyl seizures have tended to rise in recent years.In 2016, the first year of CBP began tracking seizures of fentanyl, police seized 440 pounds at the time. This number increased to 951 pounds in 2017 and 984 pounds until the end of April 2018. " Fox29
The CPB sent a press release detailing the seizure
"Opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues are a serious public health problem and the importation of large quantities of this deadly synthetic chemical compound poses a threat to national security," said Casey Durst, CBP field operations director in Baltimore.
million seized at the port of Philadelphia. https://t.co/bdX6UI0SHC pic.twitter.com/XITKIo0Aq6
– FOX 29 (@ FOX29philly) June 29, 2018
The opioid crisis is not not just a risk to national security. In 2017, Health and Human Services stated that it was a public health emergency because more and more people are being prescribed these drugs, becoming addicted to them, and then overdosing their consumption. According to their website's information sheet on the crisis, "opioid overdoses counted more than 42,000 deaths in 2016, more than the year before." It is estimated that 40% of overdose deaths from opioids involve a prescription opioid.
They report that in 2016, 11.5 million people were abusing their prescriptions meant to relieve pain, claiming that 116 people would die each day from an overdose.
The news is not all sinister. In mid-June, Inquistir reported that the FDA has given approval for a generic version of the drug Suboxone that can help combat opioid addiction. Suboxone is applied under the tongue and when used daily, it can be an effective treatment for opioid cravings, with the high that they produce as well as the withdrawal symptoms.
Of course, the drug should be used in conjunction with behavioral therapy. advice. According to the Administration of Addiction and Mental Health Services, those who use all three together can halve their risk of overdose deaths. Having a generic version, which is usually more affordable, should increase availability for those who desperately need it.
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