How China Is Fuelling America's Drug Epidemic | News on Drugs
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- Опубліковано 7 тра 2024
- Last year over 100,000 people in the US were killed by overdose. The drug most connected to these deaths is fentanyl - a synthetic opioid over 50 times stronger than heroin.
Fentanyl is at the centre of the North American opioid crisis, provoking some wild myths, poor reporting and politicised scare stories.
But where does this drug actually come from? How does it get made? And is the Chinese government actually supporting the production of a drug that is killing tens of thousands of people across North America and the world?
Ben Westhoff has travelled to China to see first-hand the factories and labs that produce fentanyl and its precursor chemicals.
He reveals the secrets of how this drug is being produced - and the involvement of the Chinese government.
Ben Westhoff's book, "Fentanyl, Inc." is available here: www.amazon.com/Fentanyl-Inc-C...
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WATCH NEXT: US Anti-Drug Partner in Mexico Worked for the Sinaloa Cartel - ua-cam.com/video/6BIRNr4rq8A/v-deo.html
and the weapons of war that the cartels have are MADE IN USA
should rename this "how democrats are profiting from the drug crisis in America"
Shut up.
@@MrLaloapatzingan😊😊😅
@@SickestWorld how VICE is supporting Dems who support open borders that are the root cause of the crisis... they are bought by China, or at least Joe Briben is.
This guy said something really important. Fentanyl wears off really quickly and users think that by increasing the dose, it will last longer. My friend died from an OD because he thought adding more will hold him longer. The threshold for an overdose is really small with Fentanyl. Be Careful!
First of all, RIP to your friend. But how did you know that was what your friend intended to do? Did he appear in your dream?
It is too strong to be used recreationally do not use it! Go buy an ounce of good medical pot and vape it!
Your friend overdoses and you tell everybody else to be careful instead of stop doing dope
@@justbehonest66 it's called harm reduction he is 100% doing the right thing by warning people & giving practical advice that is much more likely to be followed than telling people to 'stop doing dope'... if it was that simple 🙄
@@justbehonest66 Dude you have to understand a thing the war on drugs will never end, the best solution is to legalize them and maybe people will stop to use fentanyl, with 1 KG of fentanyl they can make half of a million of ten $ doses, 1 kg is less than 20 K. You can make 5 Millions $ with on the street and it is way easier to smuggle that than 100 KG of Heroin. Last thing the best dope dealer is BIG pharma, that why this war on drugs is just bs legalize them all let junkies buy them paying taxes and with quality control and the world will be a better place.
How to tactically eliminate your enemies. Well played
Exactly!
This is exactly how i got hooked on opiates. My doctor wrote me 120 Percocet 10s every 17 days. I had no idea how hooked i was until it was too late. I lost everything. I got clean in 2018. Been sober ever since. I have my life back too amazingly. I'm one of the lucky ones.
Should sue your doctor tbh.
@@tundravarg3525 it's in the works now actually
nah he should recommend him to me@@tundravarg3525
god blessed my friend, let Jesus Christ guide you to a good and new life. Remember, this life do not end here. Read the Holy bible and be careful with this world!
@@Mentoresstop making it about your god
I started doing drugs since my teenage, got addicted to heroin. Heroin addiction actually destroyed my life. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Was diagnosed with cptsd. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.
Amen God bless people. Save your health save your mind. Life is better without heroin, cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes. And you have more money in your pocket. God bless everyone who has rejected the devils intentions to be addicted to alcohol and cigarettes etc which can cause so much damage to health.
Can you help me with the reliable source 🙏. I'm 56 and have suffered for years with addiction, anxiety and severe ptsd, I got my panic attacks under control myself years ago and they have come back with a vengeance, I'm constantly trying to take full breaths but can't get the full satisfying breath out, it's absolutely crippling me, i live in Germany. I don't know much about these mushrooms. Really need a reliable source!! Can't wait to get them.
YES very sure of Dr.alishrooms. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I'm really happy for you that your wife decided to help you...I hear about alot of family members or so called friends shutting an addict out of their life, which since most addicts do it to mask emotions to me is the worse thing someone can do to an addict.
How do I reach out to him? Is he on insta
Let's all take a minute to congratulate Drugs, on winning the war on drugs!
Celebration 🕺🏾🕺🏾🕺🏾
Are you joking ? Lol
Was funded by the flbi
Just copy and paste this to every vice video and you'll get top comment
@@jaybreezyy8407 ah yes the flbi
"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting"
Well said!
Yep and it's amazing how few in our government want to actually admit to the reality that drugs are but one tool that China is using to destroy us from within,
payback for the opium wars for sure. and i cant say the west doesnt deserve it.
Facs
China has first hand experience in what it's like having your population addicted to drugs (opium) and being useless.
The Opium War. Chapter 3: "The tables are turned."
During chemotherapy I became addicted to fentnal and morphine. The fentnal almost killed me I felt my brain dying. I told my Dr. And it was decided to stop me from taking g the drugs. I ended up kicking cold turkey I think there are better way of handling drug withdrawal I don't know. I will say I am grateful that I did kick the drugs and I am clean and sober today, this happened in 2002.
Did the opioid help the chemo sickness or no just wondering.
Was there already fentanyl in 2002?
@@pieroo7 yes fentanyl was around 2002 they've made medical grade fentanyl they give you in patches and suckers that's been around since the 90s as far as I know maybe even the 80s.
God bless bro u got this without the bullshit drugs! Have a great day bro
@@gavinmoody5678 ah ok thank! And why is it popular now?
one of the most amazing part of this to me is is that none of these drugs produced in China end up in the general Chinese population. No one is taking these drugs in china, but it's all made there. I feel like the government turns a blind eye to the factories as long as they're supplying foreign markets and not local markets.
Yes it is too, but they have strict anti-drug use laws. Time for America and other countries to adopt similar laws. We just can't shift the blame on an entire country, I've heard if you're caught drug trafficking there you get death sentence. Many capitalist regimes are failing their people for being too liberal.
@@DarlyaFaroeste lol no. gl with that. i'm a legal clean supply kinda guy. i'm not killing people for getting high bro. wtf.
Don't forget about the cartels in Mexico they are working with China it's all about the money a drug is a drug
It's not surprising, it's all part of the Big Game by the CCP, they are waging a not-so-covert war against America and the West. The CCP is evil and they have nothing less than world domination in mind.
They would never allow their native population to get so hooked, and if you did, those sick people would be very quickly removed from society. The CCP is perfectly fine, however, with Americans using the drugs and to die from overdoses.
Because it isn't fucking made there i promise you most drugs in america dont come from halfway acros the world ya'll chemists produce it themelves
Otherwise it would be more used in china
Isn't it interesting 99% of comments say they got fentanyl in a hospital
The govt aint buying illegal chinese fentanyl they just make it themselves
Psilocybin saved my life. I was addicted to heroin for 15 years and after Psilocybin treatment I will be 3 years clean in September. I have zero cravings.
This is something that truly needs to be more broadly used in addiction treatment.
Psychedelic’s definitely have potential to deal with mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression, I would like to try them again again but it’s just so hard to source out of there.
Yes, bergwilly11_
A lot of people have testified about this and I really want to give it a shot. I put so much on my plate and it definitely affects my stress and anxiety levels
The Trips I've been having have really helped me a lot,I finally feel in control of my emotions and my future and things that used to be mundane to me now seem incredible and full of nuance on top of that I'm way less driven by my ego and I have alot more empathy as well
@@Armus187Is he on instagram?
Man! there's so much more to this! I so wish the second part of this interview/colab was made available!
Dude Fentanyl patches are so scary. I had back surgery when I was 15 and my mom gave me half of her patch one day because my pain levels were absurd. For three days I was basically a vegetable. First and last time that's for sure.
you legit just said your mum drugged you at 15 years old what a trash human she was wtf she on Fentanyl for
I agree, they are too strong. I declined the patches when they were offered to me after I'd seen what they can do.
@@sydneyconcerts902 Sure it was wrong I'm not denying that. When your son is screaming in pain for weeks on end I'd imagine from a mother's perspective it makes you feel helpless. Also, she's had five surgeries, and this was late 2000's early 2010's when it was way more available. It was a bad choice on her part but it also gave me some insight to just how strong and dangerous the stuff is.
@@childofanu7215 guessing anu is the trash mum?
@@childofanu7215 Hi, i wanna know more about your case.
I stopped injecting fentanyl and been clean for over 2 years now. I was doing it because I have very bad chronic pain and couldn't find a doctor to help me because I was "too young" in my early 20's. Have had 6 surgeries in 2 years to take most of my bowels out, didn't know that age would make a difference with all of the adhesion pain I have. The only thing that I could do was to go to a methadone clinic, it sucks but atleast im not sticking a needle in my arm anymore and my pain is mostly under control and I have my life back with the methadone helping my pain and making myself not having to go to the bathroom over 30 times a day.
Kratom is an amazing leaf. Do some research.
The therapeutic dose of fentanyl is about the size of a tip of a Toothpick. It's done in micrograms not milligrams fucking with it is Russian roulette. Damn a couple bad THC carts and stoners stayed away from them. This crap y'all are chasing. Fentanyl was developed as a weapon of mass destruction. Smh. And it's working.
What are these replies oh my god. Congrats on being 2years clean 💪💖
I'm so sorry you going through that; i hope you have adequate support for chronic pain because in this country sometimes it seems no one cares and doctors are scared to loose their licenses.... methadone is strong but pretty harsh on your digestive system. I am on suboxone now- but Ill tell you its just as addictive if not MORE addictive than methadone (as it stays in your system for days to weeks,) and it doesn't touch my pain unless i take enough to literally throw up and even then it's not a pain medicine but they trying to make it one. but the pharma companies don't make squat on methadone so thats why they forcing some patients onto suboxone (it costs me up to $200 cash a month) methadone cost $10 a month.
@@judgmentday2867 where u @?
Thanks for the awesome documentary, as always Vice.
Excellent interview. Thank you.
4 years clean and sober, after almost losing it ALL to opioids.
God bless you
Good for you and wishing you continued success!
Shouldn’t have been on it in the first place
Same man 18 months sober thank god
@@djstickysheets2315 you’re bitter
I would be interested to see Vice explore addiction in China, as a result of local production and low regulation.
Heroin and opium in China and all Asia and Europe. Fentenl is bought by the Mexicans and really for the US and Canada Market.. Now the Mexicans are getting into Australia through the biker gangs with fentenl and meth. Very r here of death in Europe among the heroin users.
I was just reading about that & article says even tho China officials claim they do not have drug problems they most certainly do & it's getting worse. Not much more I'd like to see vice do undercover in china but doubt that would happen?
From what I heard from a Chinese friend there are almost no drugs in China. I guess it's because they have very tough laws on drug use (20 years in prison for possessing a single joint) that also include the manufacturers. So drug dealers and manufacturers just don't find it attractive to risk their lives for making drugs. I am from Eastern Europe and it was the same during socialism. You can sometimes accomplish amazing things in dictatorships.
funny that u think they would let their own citizens use poison instead of profiting off our demise... china is ASS HOE
@@nonamenoname2618 Imagine thinking that there was no drug addiction during so called "socialism" or one-party state in all of those countries in eastern europe... lol where are you from???
Thank you for sharing this info with us... It's extremely important to know.
@Amy Beaver it will only be important if it causes a large number of Americans who currently obsess over drug seizures at the border to listen to what me and others are trying to tell the public. That the amount seized is a drop in the bucket. The heroin supply is fully supplanted by fentanyl and now xylazine, due to our drug policy pushing prices (and thus profits) into the stratosphere. And the deaths keep coming, day in, day out, and will continue. They don't have to, I promise you. There's not a perfect solution, but we can do so very much better. It's too late for a lot of people, including many close to me. I don't want others to die, and I don't wish that grief on anyone.
But I'm truly sad that I don't expect any meaningful change within my lifetime. Maybe I can help drive the stigma down slightly, because that is IMHO the biggest obstacle. Do you know why so many addicts and others who want help desperately don't seek it out voluntarily? Because they, for instance, don't want to go to a clinic that is entirely profit-driven, that's based on a punitive system, that does not treat people with dignity. And don't take my word for it. Check to see what their lobbyists have done to ensure that no legislation passes that would allow an opioid user to see their doctor directly and get medication that works for them. Like you can.
Ask them why they use racemic methadone instead of the useful isomer (it's cheaper). But I'll tell you what that does over the course of many years (one thing anyway, something I have personal experience of): it disrupts calcium ion transport in the gums, and will make one's teeth fall out, and in a very bad, very painful, and very self-image destroying way. They'll likely point to the sugar in the formulation, or junkies' terrible hygiene. But they'd be lying. It took me quite a while before I was able to talk to one of the older physicians that's works in the clinic program about that. But he did eventually tell me that he hadn't seen such problems, not nearly as severe, before regulations on generic medications were relaxed and they switched to racemic.
You can talk to your doctor about what sort of medication works for you. I can’t. Take it or leave it. And keep paying that bill in cash out of one pocket and we’ll grab that sweet ACA cash out of the other, as long as we file the proper paperwork of x number of drug tests per year per patient. Never mind that the place fills up with people, half have COVID and don’t bother with masks, and they’ll take as long as they need to get the paperwork done because they’re a business, and the goal is to make money, not to worry about that trash in the waiting room, even though some are supposed to be at work now. Screw them.
I could go on. There’s plenty more I’ve written in just this thread if you care to read it. Read on if you’d like to know what it’s like to have to grind down an exposed root canal post with a mirror and a power tool because the decay is so severe that everything crumbled away at once. So not only does one get to experience the pain of a dental abscess, but has to act in desperation because there’s no dentist to go to now, and that post will otherwise tear your lower lip off.
I’m not angry at you personally. I’m angry, that’s true. There are plenty of monsters in these comments who like to mock drug addicts. What I will ask you to do is take a moment and ask yourself seriously: Am I OK with this?
Please get the help you need and be a fighter, always a fighter and never ever give up. All the help you need is out there for you don’t destroy yourself and your loved ones, and fight for yourself you CAN DO THIS!!
Good luck and God Bless You.
I live in British Columbia and the opioid crisis is so bad there’s Toxic Drug Posts all over right now and people are getting so used to hearing about young people dying it’s sad.
same here, it’s scary to see
That's what the great reset is about... Drugs and covid vaccines
This is so sad 😔 to hear. China has already launched a silent war against the West by turning our people into living zombies, can't help thinking its all a strategy. Back here in Latin America it has also increased... Sad to say the least our region is used as the route, if only canada and the USA can come together and try to strengthen the security measures here in Latin america, you'd be surprised there are more good cops than bad cops that would bbe willing to work along.
@@DarlyaFaroeste that’s pretty ironic, because we’re told all the supplies comes from China.
What is a Toxic Drug Post?
Fascinating to see how the issues of money driving political will extend far beyond the US borders. In particular, the fact that high level Chinese government (of course) doesn't want to be seen as supporting illicit drug trade, but as you dive down to the local and provincial levels, corruption is (likely) heavily at play in guaranteeing the continued production of fentanyl and related products.
American government doesn’t want to be seen participating in it neither
Imagine thinking the American government isn't responsible for the drug trade in South America and beyond. Literally been documented that the CIA and its operatives have had a hand in it for decades now.
@@BigA678 Beat me to it. Great opening comment as well.
Fascinating how the Degenerate White male..CREATED all of this.
Very fascinating to see this news outlet finally covering something meaningful, a little too late but it is what it is.
I have seen you on TV and I'm glad I found your channel.
The current state of affairs in America reveals a concerning pattern of decline that seems to be slipping under the radar of public awareness. The staggering rise in opioid-related deaths, reaching an alarming 100,000 per year, serves as a grim indicator of a nation grappling with a deep-rooted drug crisis.
As a ripple effect, the homelessness crisis continues to escalate, with the drug problem serving as a catalyst for individuals finding themselves without stable homes. This growing issue, which was once unimaginable just a few years ago, is now becoming an unsettling norm that demands attention.
Equally unsettling is the erosion of societal values and the breakdown of law and order. Instances of brazen crime, where individuals unabashedly seize whatever they desire, highlight a sense of lawlessness that is increasingly taking hold. The erosion of parental authority over their children's health and well-being within the education system adds another layer of concern, as schools take it upon themselves to make life-altering decisions for young minds.
Moreover, the politicization of the justice system is raising eyebrows and deepening the decline. The attempt to hinder the political opposition by levying multiple charges and attempting to bar them from running for office indicates a distortion of democratic principles that were once upheld with fervor.
In essence, this amalgamation of issues paints a picture of a nation in decline, one that is facing significant challenges across various fronts. The disconcerting aspect is that, had this scenario unfolded merely a few years ago, the collective outcry would likely have been resounding. However, the current state of affairs appears to be met with a degree of complacency or perhaps even a lack of realization.
Addressing these concerns and reversing this trajectory of decline will necessitate a collective recognition of the issues at hand and a concerted effort to prioritize solutions. It requires rekindling a sense of unity, holding institutions accountable, and upholding the principles that have historically been the foundation of America's strength and resilience.
Its funny, in the 1980s I was doing research studies for my company on Fentanyl and I had to account for every mg and was observed by a person the entire time I was doing my work. Never would have believed that it would become so prevalent on the street!
There are ways around it, a dope fein will unfortunately find a way to con you.
and yet the war on drugs is still a thing, the government will never admit how much of a failure it is
if you dont mind me asking, how strict were the procedure guidelines?
Surgeon well it has its use in medical procedures like its intended purpose
That's actually interesting. you did research on fentanyl for a pharmaceutical company, I presume?
They learned this one from the British
lmao true
funny how karma works
The Brits basically taught the serfs to read on this one
So the Chinese govornment wont allow it to circulate in China but will allow the drug to be shipped to US
Same as the British did to China in the Opion Wars 🙄
@@cryptoslackerrob-464don’t think the Chinese have gotten over it.
Thank you for sharing this video.
I'm at 4:19, and saying this for posterity. A major contributing ingredient to the opioid problems in the US is that we culturally treat addiction as a personal moral failing rather than a public health issue.
Well, I've taken opiates for medical reasons for 15+ years. 90% of the time it IS a moral failing as they are actually VERY hard to get physically addicted to is you are using them correctly.
You live in a cave or what? Addiction has been a public health issue and not a personal failing for going on 30 years now ever since it was classified as a disease.
@@nobodyspecial4702 I said culturally, not medically. Did you read that in a cave without lights? Or perhaps you meant to @ the person above you?
@@christinewatson1989 And here is Exhibit A. Were you aware that different people have different levels of susceptibility to addiction? Like, chemically. Their bodies just work badly like that. Are there addicts that were shitty people before? Absolutely. That doesn't change the reality for others though.
Exactly!
Great research
2 of my best friends got pretty addicted to crack and oxy, and the got crack that was laced with fentynal and overdosed just a couple days apart... They didn't even know each other and got from different people... It's fucking terrible man.
We need more people talking about this
the fact that americans cannot take responsibility for anything?
@@jamesmitch9792 the ones that don't outrank the ones they do. America isn't the only one with this problem
@JackTastickk I try, but substantive discussion that requires more than thinking: this==good, this==evil doesn't appeal to many Americans.
this whole interview is just about two man talking with each other, there is not a single piece of solid evidence in the video. I really couldn't understand that why you just believe them. do you still remember the WMD of Iraq?
They gave me Fentanyl after a surgery, and I was out of it & nauseous for days after. I can’t imagine being addicted to it, and feeling like that every time I’m not actively using.
If your addicted you don't feel like that. It always gave me a energy boost. Only time I felt like what you said was when I didn't have it. I'm so glad to be clean going on 6 years. I hope I never have to deal with it again but every day is a fight a fight I'm winning as of now.
Seems like the effects vary so much person to person. I'm like you and get overstimulated and overly nauseous from opiates but I have a huge predisposition to liking stimulants (where others don't necessarily). Consider yourself lucky friend
50 second ad that I can't skip tf
love the camera cuts to him just nodding
I broke my jaw in 2019 and didn’t get to an ER for over 2 hours, but I felt no pain that whole time. I didn’t even ask for it and I doubt my parents did, but they ended up giving me IV Fentanyl and I got uncomfortably high, and as soon as it wore off I could feel all the pain of my jaw being in two pieces. Of course I asked for more because now I was in terrible pain but they didn’t give it to me. When I got surgery twice that same school year I was denied pain meds both times so I think maybe they listed me as addiction prone or something because I asked for more.
it may not feel like it because you were in so much pain, but they actually did you a favor by hopefully sparing you of actually getting addicted to fent...
@@asundergrowth facts
Realise this, pain is temporary but addiction is forever
My fiance is a nurse and he says that they keep notes and warnings on people who are IV Drug Users and people who were seeking drugs in the past.
@Gaetano They track addicts in a lot of ways. There has been a national prescription drug registry developed within the last decade to help address the opioid epidemic. It's a computer database that keeps track of everybody's prescription history, and that tells more than people might think. If they see anything such as suboxone or methadone being prescribed then it's pretty obvious, but even a combination of drugs such as clonidine, baclofen, ondansetron, and hydroxyzine being prescribed at once would be a dead giveaway that that person is an opioid addict because it's the exact sort of cocktail that opioid addicts are given in rehab to help them detox more comfortably. It helps with more than just addicts though. Certain drugs could also give someone away as being bipolar, which would be a good thing to know so that doctors avoid prescribing SSRIs and other drugs which could trigger manic episodes. It's just a good standard to have in place. It keeps the honest honest, if you will.
He’s not lieing, it’s a tuff time to be kid and doing pills or drugs. They will never know what the good times was. May god help us all.
Just stick to licensed dispensaries where it’s legal and dont get to hooked on alcohol or nicotine, is my main mindset as of right now, 22 and have done things..but glad I never got bad into pills, and looks like any type of powder is just dangerous.
@@robbiematthews168 Advice from an X Ecstasy dealer... If you decide to try anything, please never try opioids or benzos bc they're too addicting. Ecstasy on the other hand is the miracle molecule, as long as you control how much you take. Just make sure you test your product and make sure you get 100% pure MDMA 👍👍
@@robbiematthews168 anything powder or pill is just dangerous. Getting it from a unknown stranger or friend is not worth it.
It's a good and bad time. Legalization is starting to gain traction and could be promising in the future. But yes, atm it is very risky and my thoughts and prayers go to those who can't legally cultivate their own psychedellics.
@Metacashica and Pennytera RCs have been found in cannabis too
This is why the de ath pena lty for dru g trafficking is so important
Kyrie, eleison...
Really helpful, and terrifying at the same time. I don't see any end to the supply of cheap drugs du jour, sadly.
Drugs? Where? Veterinary tranquilizer isn't on my menu.
@@l3vo Nor mine for sure. Just sad.
How blaming someone else is better than fixing the social problems
The illicit fentanyl can be traced 100% to China. Yes, we have social problems but you can’t deny that the Chinese Communists are flooding the US with the most dangerous drug they can make.
because america is fuelled by conflict and blaming others distracts people from domestic problems
You must find out one of the root cause of the problem. Patching problems with a temporary patch will not solve anything. Its like ants problem in a home, find the queen and ants will be gone.
@@domaticgirl, please. if something is illegally smuggled out of the country, the government doesn't get paid any taxes from it. This should be common sense. What, you think they just file their taxes saying "FENTANYL" despite the fact that possession gets them the death penalty there?? Or you really think China's gov sat around in a room like the British parliament, voting to decide how to force another country to take its opium? Mind you, the British invaded, looted, and coloznied Hong Kong when China imposed a ban on British opium traders. This history is why China and so many Asian countries (with Chinese refugees from the opium wars) have such deep scars from drugs that drugs are heavily penalised in their countries. China got 1.4 billion people, some of them are gonna be bad, and they're gonna be shipping illicit supplies to countries to willing, happy buyers with governments who do not give a crap about their people. Yall got nobody to blame for the drug problem in the US except the US gov. They allowed the problem to become this bad without doing anything. Blaming another country, encouraging divisive speech to stop its domestic population from pointing fingers at the gov or holding it accountable in any meaningful way seems to work anyway, so no wonder change never happens.
It’s been obvious that it’s been China for decades but brainless people like you follow the media and blame Mexico where fentanyl isn’t produced it’s brought over from China
Please remember not to demonise a chemical, or place moral judgement on it. Perpetuating the demonisation of chemicals is what got us all into this War in the first place.
Look up that handle 👆⬆️ his got psych products and mushroms🍄🍄.
Corrupt Reagans are what got us in this FALSE war on drugs smfh
Dude we need to be following Switzerlands model and not being so judgemental with everybody cause not everyone is the same and we all deserve to be treated fairly and heard.
"The Swiss, in keeping with their national stereotype, kept meticulous records. They found data to support the program through years of scientific study and strict randomized controlled trials before incorporating HAT into the law.
Since then, the number of new heroin users in Switzerland has declined. Drug overdose deaths dropped by 64 percent. HIV infections dropped by 84 percent. Home thefts dropped by 98 percent. And the Swiss prosecute 75 percent fewer opioid-related drug cases each year."
Thats a really good comment and im happy to read those kind of things more and more often. Stop the stigmatising and start healing the psychological wounds which lead to addiction in the 1st place. Dont blame the substance, the substance is just that. education and decriminalise all substances so people can choose doses and not play a dangerous game guessing it .
@@ZIKZSENSE indeed, there's a severe lack of compassion for those who suffer from mental illness as well as addiction. It's a society-wide problem. I've grown to realize that until we're able to (as a country/society whatever) take care of the people who are the hardest to help, we're never going to be able to "progress" towards any brighter tomorrow. I reckon it's very much "the chain is only as strong as it''s weakest link" type thing. At the VERY least, I'd like to see more people at least TRY to be understanding that there are people who suffer these afflictions for all sorts of reasons and just because THEY can't see themselves doing it, that doesn't mean those who do suffer ought to be treated like crap.
*And the beat goes on !*
🤔
Very informative
These kind of documentaries make it extremely difficult for people with chronic pain to obtain these pain killers.
I for example suffer from interstitial cystitis and it is impossible for me to get opioid pain killers prescribed by my doctor because of the demonizing of these drugs by the media.
You should blame the people getting themselves killed over these drugs.
It makes me think of the opium wars.
Ya same here. The west caused an entire century of humiliation in China, one of the oldest civilisations on the world. They are taking their revenge now
@@thatonedudenextdoor7840
Colonisation was a terrible thing, and we’re still struggling with the consequences of it.
Yeah it's not a nice thought that your drug pusher wants revenge for a 180 year old grievance. And that they believe a close by country belongs to them thanks to pirate law. Yargh! So no to drugs kids!
@@robbiegrant1449 it may have started 180 years ago but China only really started recovering at all in the 50s and only really started recovering in the 90s. It's not called the century of humiliation for nothing. And more than that, there has been no word of apology, no act of reparation or any indication that the west regrets pushing drugs on China partially through the opium wars.
There can be no forgiveness.
@@robbiegrant1449
“What goes around comes around”?
Fent is NOT THE PROBLEM.....not having 2 parents at home is...
You're so ignorant. The only problem is ourselves. The only solution is ourselves. If you don't understand why that is, and mostly you don't because less than 3% of the pop do, then I suggest you figure it out.
Dorkiest comment of the day award.
This isn't crime and lawlessness, it's drug abuse, clown.
I love how they slipped in a shot of Dan Backslide in this documentary lol
Providing patients with adequate pain relief medication is essential to avoid more deaths. The irony is that now people are dying from lack of proper opioid treatments. Take Prince for example, if his pills were prescribed by a doctor instead of a dealer he would still be alive today.
the big government kills
Yep a ton of doctors have their hands tied by government regulations that never see a patient. The problem now is fent and yet the government keeps focusing on prescriptions. I wasn’t for legalization for most drugs however with fent it almost seems better to try going back to what it was a bit.
Prince was pill head. Had multiple pill prescriptions under different names and doctors. .
“It’s a tough time to be a young person” is the most underrated statement in this whole video.
This is true for most of history.
Vice : "how did you find the source of fentnyl?"
Guy: "i googled it"
like so many things it comes down to Money and Morals. I hope people start putting family and community ahead of fleeting sensations.
If only America had it's own chemists that could make the drugs in the US, so that way they could do quality control and ensure that the product wasn't going to kill people. That sounds like it would be a nice way of protecting your own citizens.
People aren't going to stop taking drugs, and people aren't going to stop selling drugs.
So the best approach is to ensure that the drugs are bought and sold, are at least safe to their consumers!
Jeremiah, this is exactly what we're debating here in Canada. As you can guess, though, the conservatives are opposed to anything that would 'enable' drug users.
😂
In Brazil Xanax and klonopins costs like 10 cents. Klonopins is larges prescribed in Brazil for decades, it's so cheap.
I am a recovering opiate addict, and I stole one of my aunts prescribed fentanyl patches and put it on, I wore it for half an hour but had a bad feeling (didn't really know the dangers I know now), I took it off after half an hour before it could take effect, and I'm so glad I did, I still get shivers thinking about how close I could have come to death.
Good job, Vice! You managed to keep up with the rest of us!
From DEA website: "Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery. Under the supervision of a licensed medical professional, fentanyl has a legitimate medical use.". So according to US law, Fentanyl is a controlled drug, not an illegal drug.
Thank you for being one of the few intelligent comments here. Fentanyl and other opiates enable many people with severe chronic pain to live comfortably, work, provide for their families, and keep a roof over their heads.
Well said. Media need to start clarifying this immediately. **ILLICIT** fent.
I think people realize the difference between regulated fent patches and injections (although those can easily be abused as well so should be handled very carefully), and fent cooked up in Chinese labs and distributed by cartels. Even legal fent though, is something that should be taken incredibly seriously by doctors and patients.
@@PlaySA It IS taken seriously by those who have a medical necesity. Patronizing people doesn't stop addiction or ODs. Stirring up hysteria doesn't stop addiction nor ODs.
It becomes illegal once the controlled drug is outside the supervision of a practicing pharmacist/doctor, in which black markets for the drug do exist.
Always always be in control of your prescription Rx’s as well. You can do that.
Yep, many people blaming it on the doctors or drug, nope, it’s the individuals fault. No one forced anyone to take anything.
I've known people who have visited Yuancheng pharmaceuticals. They doned white lab coats and were taken on a tour of the facilities. They were then asked what they were looking for. This is early in the synthetic drug scene and it was just letters of the alphabet to them.
You would think that Vice could hire competent editors to produce a video with consistent audible sound and without such terrible background noise.
Ben is a super chill dude. I got to hangout with him when his book was first released and he signed my book with "Here's hoping for two lines on your fent strips"
Lmao iconic
I've had trauma dealing with OD patients. An addict(w/ multiple drug usage) was brought to the ER. I went to get samples for blood testing. Was about to approach when he suddenly got up, pulled his IV needle and began stabbing the nurses and me. One got critical, others got minor injuries and me stabbed 3x in the gut. Then later finding out that there will be no compensation and I have to pay half of my hospital bills. I quit that day.
That’s awful
Did you guys do a blood test, fuckers in prison give each other hep-c and HIV this way
sorry dude
Prove it
Sounds like either stimulant psychosis, or the medics gave too much naloxone and pissed him off. I've had similar experiences. They'll throw you right under the bus in favor of a patient/client. And why in the hell didn't they search him? That needle should NEVER have made it into the ED on his person. Healthcare sucks, I would never want to work in that field again unless I had no choice
Supply and demand right? If we didn’t have an insatiable thirst for drugs then there wouldn’t be things like this happening. It’s crazy, half if not more of the kids i went to school with are either dead, in and out of jail, or addicted to opiates. I thankfully got out but i miss my dudes. Something went horribly wrong with my generation in my hometown. I’m so glad i got away from it before the whole fentanyl thing kicked off.
All of the debates and proposed solutions to the Fentanyl flooding into the US, has neglected to say the problem is truly all about the fact that America is addicted to getting high, feeling good or better about their surroundings and situation. Addicted to wanting to escape their problems, make them go away temporarily. It is what drives the drug cartels to ship more in volume and potency.
If we as a nation straightened up, and got sober, we could solve a lot more problems than this one. No one can make anything better by putting off facing their problems without being sober and in control of their thoughts. and what comes out of their mouth. #soberissmarter
Amazing how they never mention the doctors who abruptly cut patients off which causes them to hit the streets. Start charging doctors for cutting patients off just like they do if they prescribe too many and this crisis will end.
Look up that handle 👆⬆️ his got psych products and mushroms🍄🍄….
The DEA license a doctor must have to write such scripts is more important to them than some poor chronic pain patient in need of relief.
VICE: please note that the irrelevant stock video footage is distracting. There's nothing wrong with just focusing on sticking with the interviewees, what they had to say is very interesting.
Lmao. I was just thinking "am I watching schoolhouse rock"....
Looks relevant to me, not happy with the faces you see?
Oh yer cort lets hope the billion dollar multi national, who performs massive market studies and sweeps for what media consumers wants, will listen to your opine and change their format!!!
I think they do that bcuz nowadays ppls attention span is so short that they can't listen to just an interview, they need pretty colors and moving parts, SMH. It's sad but true, so if they want to capture a younger audience just putting the interview out by itself won't work.
It's actually giving me the opportunity to read the comments without worrying about missing a clip. This isn't more than anyone could do.
8:07 I'm from Brazil, and here there's an epidemic of "K2 and Spice" very sad to see people walking around like zombies
I remember being addicted to xanax for the longest and a part still is but ever since fentanyl it is almost impossible to get anything not laced on the street. I personally dont like the way these fakes make you feel but it seems everyone else is still taking these, feel bad for all the teens thinking they are taking something legit
L2darkweb nerd
Ha. Yep
If our Government is Allowing these Drugs across the Border, which is a Billion dollar Industry who do we Blame? The Supplier, the User or the Median?
Drugs are bad mkay
Our government isn't "Allowing" these drugs into the country. Its like playing wack-a-mole with 10's of thousands of Chinese criminals smuggling drugs in every imaginable way and then some. China helps control their end depending on their frame of mind towards the US. In other words they use this as a tool to get their way. If you drop a tarrif or don't complain about our Confucius institutes we can do more. Hundreds of thousands of Americans die from the drugs china could easily stop flowing out of their country. Seems to me they are the biggest Cartel of them all. They always speak about taking down the country from within if you listen to chinas professor's & pundits talk about America..Its very disturbing.
The US can't control the all the smuggling because the trade volume is so large there aren't enough DEA people to police all the incoming ships. That's just one reason.
don't forget the opioid crisis was caused by the Sackler family's for-profit company Purdue Pharma, who conspired with doctors to push addictive drugs ... and since they own the politicians, the Sacklers are gonna get a plea deal that just fines them a fraction of the billions they made in profit
unless you want to live in a pre-1800 world, you need to enable international trade of legal goods the way it is. At that, there is no way to control even 10% of all imports, especially not in the ports. So no, there is no government willingly letting these illegal or controlled substances into the country. It just has no way of stopping it.
I thought it was obvious. The user of course. It's much easier to oppress another portion of the population than to stop the rich making more money.
I'm pretty sure everyone knows it's China. We've known that pretty much from the start.
I'd like to hear thoughts on why carfentanil is now on the scene. Is it even cheaper? What is the perceived benefit to rhino and elephant tranquilizer?
Thank you for another great report on fentanyl VICE. 👍
The Chinese are still (understandably) mad about the Opium Wars.
Absolutely. The Chinese don't forget. They spend more than a century planning and waiting for a good moment to defeat the Xiongnu once and for all, 2000 years ago. They know how to make long term plans, truly long term, whereas western politicians are only planning for a few years at most, because then they lost their presidency anyways and who cares what happens afterwards
The recent Opioid crisis in America was self caused though
Just greed
exactly, the opioid crisis was caused by the Sackler family's for-profit company Purdue Pharma, who conspired with doctors to push addictive drugs ... and since they own the politicians, the Sacklers are gonna get a plea deal that just fines them a fraction of the billions they made in profit
Exactly, I still dont see why they must pin China for practically everything when the whole situation was very much self caused.
there's plenty of homeless young people out there hooked on opioids that were toddlers when the oxy prescriptions were notoriously high. their opioid addiction has nothing to do with previous legal prescriptions.
Somehow people keep forgetting only US have a Fentanyl problem. If your situation is that special, it is on you.
At this point, governments need to take over the drug trade and put these cartels out of business and have pure drugs on the market with monitored usage because this is insane
when fentanyl hit the streets, I went to rehab.........try not to look back.
I've had patches in the past but I stopped using them as I had loads of side effects. I've tried countless meds over the years, but the only once that have ever helped is Longtec, Shortec and Pregabalin to help with my chronic pain and phantom pain.
Your next special should be
"how the pharmaceutical industry is fuelling America's drug epidemic."
don't forget the opioid crisis was caused by the Sackler family's for-profit company Purdue Pharma, who conspired with doctors to push addictive drugs ... and since they own the politicians, the Sacklers are gonna get a plea deal that just fines them a fraction of the billions they made in profit
Yup!!
Or making everyone slowly but surely crazy. 60 percent of Americans are on Anti-Psychotics..
They've already covered Purdue, the Sackler's etc. multiple times.
this has been covered in a dozen different videos.
This answer's my question, where did this mixed drug come from , unbelievable
Dealers chopping it down, mix and rebranding it for marketing purposes
It's crucial to understand that addiction impacts individuals differently and various factors can influence the experience of withdrawal symptoms. As someone who has been addicted to fentanyl for almost four years, and prior to that, heroin for 14 years, I have built up a tolerance to the drug over time. When people claim that "fentanyl's effects disappear quickly, requiring users to re-dose every two to three hours," it may be inaccurate if they are referring to the onset of withdrawal symptoms rather than the duration of the high. In my experience, I have gone for up to 48 hours without using fentanyl due to financial constraints, but my mental state and ability to assess my physical sensations also played a significant role.
When in the throes of addiction, it's easy to fall into a pattern of thinking where the only way to avoid withdrawal symptoms is to constantly use drugs. But what I've learned through my experience is that this is not always the case. By being more aware of my body and separating physical sensations from the mental aspects of addiction, I was able to better manage my cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Addiction is a complex and powerful force that can be difficult to overcome without support. Seeking professional help, building a strong support network, and practicing self-care are all crucial steps towards recovery.
I acknowledge that my active addiction of almost 20 years may cause skepticism towards my views on recovery. However, I hope to offer insight to those who have lived a similar life to mine by sharing my personal experiences and discussions with individuals both in and out of addiction who have found ways to abstain from relapse
Do you have an email address so that I could maybe get some advice from you since you have been down that road? I know I am a complete stranger, but I would really appreciate your opinion and any advice you could give. Thanks.
@berenistooley5723 let me know if you're getting my comments
@@berenistooley5723 my comments are being deleted.respond again if u see this
@@AyeeBee93 I'm actively addicted right now - more so because I'm afraid of withdrawal... I have gone 12 hours without using some days - and haven't had withdrawals... Are you saying I'll still get them?
@@mason96575 yes
The problem too with Fent, is that because it wears off so quickly. You need to use more times a day, where a heroin user would use maybe 2 times max a day and they don't need to re-dose. Also if you were using any weaker opiates, like Heroin. You would basically not get high off of it anymore because Fentanyl would make your tolerance increase by x50. So sad, as a Heroin user, in a country where we get clean Heroin, its sad to see how badly its effected the US and Canada! Apparently if you've made it through the flooding of the market in the US and Canada in the last 8 years, you are maybe 2/10 that survived the wave :( I promise you would be surprised how many people have used and how it can be a far less dangerous drug if the government are the ones controlling it, not just the production but instead of saying "NO TO DRUGS" teach kids about Narcan and about the drugs they're most likely to come in contact with in their teenage years, it being socially unacceptable makes people do it discreetly and in such a dangerous way! Being informed about what your going to use takes the chance of a OD and many other problems that people have to take... Because lets be honest, people are always going to be curious and some people are always going to try it at some point in their life... So why not be safe!
Anyone reading please stay away from drugs. You won't earn anything
The true reason why dealers lace fentanyl with every drug now is to have the users more addicted. They don’t need to put a lot for them to feel it and want more, it’s a way for dealers to keep their client. It’s not because of the high at all, it’s all about money.
*I'll refer you to this dude online I got some grams of N-N DMT LSD Mushrooms Lean Adderall MDMA Xanax and other psychedelic products and he also ship discreetly to any location**
He's on telegram
Rubby_tripstore ✓✓✓
Very informative*
Man I'm glad I cleaned my act up. I never shot anything or stuff like that, but I was definitely taking too many pills (I wrecked my back lifting weights about 7 years ago). I was definitely not as bad as some, but it was becoming a problem so I just decided to quit altogether. I'm glad I did because it's really getting crazy out here. I feel a million times better even with my back pain staying the same (Actually getting worse by the day.) I even quit drinking. I feel much better now.
Id recommend going to physical therapy if you can
@Ciello ___ oh I actually stay very active and still frequent the gym, I just mind the spine. Nothing like squats r anything that puts downward pressure on my spine like that. But I can sneeze wrong and can't tie my shoes for 3 days. Holy hell LoLz
@@lunaticgaming7967 Yikes, but same here. Went cold turkey after being on Narco 10’s for 4 years due to slipped discs causing pressure on nerves in my back. It sucks when I move the wrong way (and it doesn’t take much) and have pain for days afterwards. But I’ll never go back to the pills. So glad I never got into Oxy or Fentanyl!
True stay clean and live a happy normal life is the best thing ever u can do in this crazy world, no joke hands down...
Fentanyl is becoming more common in New Zealand too. There is an epidemic here. China also fuels South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand as well as the United States. It's cheaper than some ingredients used to make Methamphetamine.
But here in Europe its extremely rare, they refuse to import that. We go east for our H, rather than to SA which maybe why.
@@MK-tx6te I wouldn't say it's "rare" not to have it in Europe. Because you have Turkiye importing large quantities of opioids and methamphetamine which contains Fentanyl. Turkiye is in the top 5 largest drug exporters in the world lol. It's everywhere. Nowhere is safe.
Northeast corridor the largest opioid market in the world has a interesting mix of fentanyl analogs and other drugs like xylasine 4fa etc that give the fentanyl a much longer action
So sad all the people that have and will die from these evil drugs..
It’s always some country feeding the drug crisis in America but the American govt. itself is stuck with old methods of treating addicts. The govt. has to take more responsibility. This is not political or republican vs democrat matter. It’s for the people.
Also these are not drug cartels, they're regular pharma companies who make all types of legal prescription drugs for domestic use. Majority of their profit is not from gray market precursors. China doesn't regulate fentanyl precursor like the US simply because Chinese people don't abuse these drugs or are always looking newer chemicals to get high off of. That is uniquely a western problem.
@@dsong2006 drugs are bad mkay
@@firstlast8258 it's not about drugs being good or bad...if these company mostly serve the domestic market, and there is no drug problem in China and their way of dealing with it is with harsh penalty like death or long prison sentences, what incentive is there for the gov to increase regulations. Why should they think about how foreigner are using these chemicals? You can turn most chemicals into drugs if there is a will. Look at the types of drugs Russians are using
@@dsong2006 🤓
@@dsong2006 It's not even a Western problem. It's an AMERICAN problem (and Canada, but same thing).
I don’t know what the Chinese government is doing or not. But I’m looking at some of the comments and I think people really need to look at the history of the relationship between China and West and heroin. I’m not saying it justifies it but they’re just following how they were shown to behave.
中国贩毒死刑，美国呢？自己思考思考吧，美国大麻都合法了，现在跑过来怪中国生产合法药物出口。笑死，中国还是世界最大感冒药原料生产国呢。感冒药照样能变成毒品，美国是不是也要责怪中国啊？
Most of the fentanyl entering the US comes from China via Canada, then direct sales to US pharma and black market and finally the route is Mexico.
i remember detoxing from both benzo and opiates and was so bad. today im 57 days clean from methadone and 15 years clean from benzos
Kind of like, "The dollar is our currency, but it is your problem" said by a US Treasury secretary.
But with the borders the people coming over here building the buildings apartment some of them is in with the cocktails bring all that poison over here profiting
I took something that had codeine in it after having all four wisdom teeth pulled. I got sick to my stomach and my head was swimming! I was doped up and I did not care to take it again. I lived with the pain.
As someone who has lost a friend and Uncle to fentanyl, watching this makes my blood boil.
I heard rumors about this. I thought it made sense. As long as their population doesn't have access, their Government doesn't really care.
I had fentanyl for a biopsy and it knocked me out, but I don't remember feeling good or different. I awoke as if nothing happened. If they'd OD me, I never would have known.
Had to do it for an ambulance ride (am allergic to regular opioids) and it did exactly nothing for my pain, and I wasn't impaired by it at all. The hospital mistakenly thought I was a drug addict and delayed my surgery, suing them right now.
The fety in the hospital isn’t the same . Street fety is diff that hospital grade fety . The nurses also would never od u bc again it’s Medi-Cal grade fety
Lol how to unnecessarily make things focusing on you
China understands how it can crumble an empire from personal experience
Excellent investigative journalism. The precursor chemical company had 700 telemarketers in 2018! They probably have 2,000 now.
I've always had good experiences with pure mdma even 20 years ago taking ecstasy which around here was typically highly adulterated we never saw overdoses like that of synthetic opioids
Is sasafras x around these days or is it china chem knockoffs?
That sucks ass man. Im an hour away from the netherlands in germany and we get really cheap and good mdma, in fact anything from weed to mdma, pills, amphetamines etc
@@154g depends how many you get. one is about 3-5 euros. with quantity going up prices drastically go down so when getting 100 for example, it's like 1-2 Euro/ pill.
and the exchange rate is 1$ = 0.93€
sometimes even cheaper, sometimes bit more expensive. but quality always on point. pills tend to have 200-250mg mdma
@@154g oh and getting mdma itself is even cheaper and much better to ship and sell
8:44 - what is up with the clips of these old ass computers? What did this guy like do his fentanyl investigation back in the 1980s or something?