Dea Efforts Increase Fentanyl Use

Illegal use of fentanyl in the United States is linked to the availability of heroin. The majority of the users of the designer analogs of fentanyl prefer heroin and will use it instead when available. Due to the United States' War on Drugs, the availability of fentanyl substitutes is being limited.

Those who argue that the War on Drugs is failing point to a rise in use of synthetic drugs. They contend that, in fighting the drug trafficking from other countries, the DEA is actually increasing the market for synthetic drugs like fentanyl. An escalation of the destruction of opium fields in countries such as Mexico, Afghanistan, and Pakistan has lowered the amount of heroin smuggled into the United States. While this is applauded by some, detractors believe that since the War on Drugs does not result in fewer...