The US continues to be plagued by the widespread use of illicit substances. People openly taking drugs in broad daylight and lying on the street among used syringes have become a familiar sight in large cities. Despite some success in the fight against dealers, the US authorities admit that there is no end in sight to this scourge, writes the Daily Mail.

In 2021, more than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in the United States, which is almost 15% more than in the previous same period. And judging by the worrying trends, there are no signs that the situation will improve in the near future.

This statistic is horrifying, but it cannot fully convey the crisis that is ravaging the country. Therefore, the correspondents of the publication decided to document the ‘suffering in some of the most affected areas.’

Just 2mg of fentanyl, the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is deadly. But despite operations to detain dealers, the authorities acknowledge that there is no end in sight to the epidemic. 

To make matters worse, xylazine, a pet drug known as ‘trunk,’ is used. The combination of this substance with fentanyl causes various terrible effects: loss of consciousness and abscesses of the internal organs, ‘eating flesh’, the newspaper notes.

Across the country, heartbreaking pictures that expose this devastation can be seen. Zombie fentanyl and trunk users lie on needle-strewn streets from Washington to Massachusetts, from Louisiana to Philadelphia. People who smoke or sniff drugs without any hesitation are even found on the lawns next to one of the most prestigious institutions in the country – Yale University, the Daily Mail draws attention.

Washington state ranks third in the United States for drug use. In 2021 alone, the number of drug-related deaths in the region exceeded 2,000. And it seems that the situation here continues to spiral out of control.

‘You can drive down the street and see someone who obviously just took fentanyl, barely on his feet, bending over and looking like he’s about to faint, ’ says Seattle Police Department West Precinct Commander Steve Strand. ’ And when you come back 15 minutes later, this person is already up and walking around as if nothing happened, after which he starts looking for a new dose.’

Just last week, the Washington authorities made a horrific announcement: the local morgues and crematoria ran out of space. King County Medical Examiner’s Office officials say the department is struggling to cope with the influx of bodies as the fentanyl crisis escalates.

In 2021, Seattle courts struck down a law that made possession of hard drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, a felony. According to experts, it was the mitigation of punishment that became the main cause of the current problems.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia became the epicenter of the distribution of cheap and powerful trunk. This poisonous substance, which causes breathing problems in people, ‘turns consumers into zombies roaming the streets.’

In shocking images obtained by the Daily Mail in the City of Brotherly Love, people can be seen sprawled on the ground in a trance-like state. Many drug addicts openly inject themselves in the neck on benches near MacPherson Square Park, aptly referred to by locals as ‘Needle Park.’

In the Kensington area, so-called zombie camps also formed. Groups of drug addicts huddled among strange furniture, tents, and makeshift fires, sit and take turns injecting trank fentanyl for a fatal high. And this can be seen quarter after quarter.

In recent years, fentanyl has also claimed thousands of lives in California, including teenagers under the age of 15. In Sacramento, drug addicts use a deadly substance right on the street, in full view of passers-by.

Many residents of neighboring San Francisco also complain about what is happening in their city. ‘Last night I was walking from the bar, which is located in the center. What I saw was like a dystopia: hundreds of people doubled over (probably under the influence of fentanyl) or sitting on the sidewalks and smoking,’ says 37-year-old businesswoman Michelle Tendler.

Last week, as part of a major investigation, police seized ‘rainbow fentanyl’ from a motel room in Portland, Oregon. During the raid, law enforcement officers found, among other things, more than 2 kg of iridescent fentanyl, packaged and ready for sale. But this find is just the tip of the iceberg.

Law enforcement agencies are desperately trying to stop the flow of drugs coming over Biden’s open borders from Mexico. But despite success in some cases, desperate Portland cops agree they can’t quite get the problem under control.

One of the main problems in Portland is the high availability of drugs. A dose of fentanyl can be purchased for as little as $1. Of particular concern to experts is that the dangerous substance is sold in the form of multi-colored tablets resembling candy. According to experts, it is obvious that in this way dealers are trying to attract the attention of young people.

In recent months, the fentanyl epidemic has reached New York. Scenes of zombie addicts using drugs in parks in front of children are increasingly becoming a part of the Big Apple’s daily life, according to the publication.

A similar pattern is observed on the west coast. In the infamous Skid Row neighbourhood in Los Angeles, where drug addicts gather, fentanyl is also gaining more and more popularity, the Daily Mail emphasizes.

Former drug addict Jesse Watters believes that local authorities should change their attitude towards the problem. ‘People need to be encouraged to quit. And now they are encouraged to do whatever they want – take fentanyl on the streets, commit crimes to maintain their habits. This approach will not fix anything,’ he argues. You can share this story on social media: