“Mexican Oxy” Crosses the Border and Causes Fatal Overdoses

No one would expect to lose their loved one to a drug overdose, but many families have been devastated by fatal overdoses on what is being called “Mexican oxy.” These blue pills are stamped with an “M” on one side and a “30” on another, so they resemble oxycodone pills, but they are actually a much more dangerous drug called fentanyl. An extremely potent painkiller, fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, not to mention it is 20 times as profitable for manufacturers, most of whom come from south of the U.S. border.

A Flood of Illicit Fentanyl from Mexico

Even taking just one sky blue pill can be fatal, especially if the user mistakenly thinks they have ingested oxycodone, which is not nearly as potent or dangerous as fentanyl. Although the pills vary in strength, users who buy what they think is oxycodone have no way of knowing what they’re buying when they purchase it from a drug dealer. Mexican oxy pills can vary from 0.03 to 1.99 milligrams per tablet, which runs the spectrum of almost nothing to a fatal dose.

The drug has profoundly affected the Mexican drug economy, and has curtailed heroin exports and all but put marijuana traffickers out of business. Fentanyl is extremely dangerous to make, and those who heat up the chemicals must be careful not to let the liquids touch their skin, as it can cause overdose by those means, as well. However, many Mexican drug producers are willing to take the risk, because it is less work than the months it takes to make heroin, not to mention they stand to make a greater profit.

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is the most powerful and addictive prescription opioid, and is reserved almost exclusively in a hospital setting for patients who don’t respond to other narcotic painkillers. It was developed in the 1960s as a painkiller of last resort, and today, it has become the leading driver of the opioid crisis and the top cause of fatal overdoses in the United States. In 2018, the drug was responsible for 31,000 overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of it is smuggled in from Mexico, where it is an extremely profitable export that trumps heroin, which is more expensive and more difficult to produce. Made synthetically, fentanyl takes mere hours to cultivate in any given laboratory, whereas heroin takes months of growing poppy flowers that only flourish in certain climates.

Getting Clean from Fentanyl

Don’t become a statistic. If you are addicted to fentanyl, now is the time to seek help. There is no telling when the next dose could be a fatal one, and for that reason, it’s imperative you get professional help for your addiction. At Dana Point Rehab Campus, we offer compassionate substance abuse therapy, and we can help you detox and get sober once and for all.

Get in touch with us at Dana Point Rehab Campus by calling [universalphone] today. We can help you achieve and maintain sobriety from fentanyl.