International criminals with laboratories attack our families with fentanyl, shabu and cocaine. Let’s talk about fentanyl, a drug I have a lot of experience with.
On the one hand, fentanyl is a miracle drug—a powerful pain reliever that’s brought relief to countless people suffering from severe pain. On the other hand, in the wrong hands, it’s a deadly weapon. Fentanyl is an opioid, and while it is incredibly effective for pain relief when used properly in a hospital setting, it is also insanely dangerous when made and sold illegally. In fact, illegal fentanyl has been killing people at an alarming rate all over the world.
Now, fentanyl is what they call a “downer” because it depresses your central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord — basically the parts that control your breathing and heartbeat. If it slows these down too much, well, it can be fatal. Cocaine, on the other hand, is an “upper” because it stimulates the central nervous system. Both drugs can make you feel high, but they can also kill you if they take things too far.
So, fentanyl. It’s about fifty times stronger than heroin and a whopping one hundred times more powerful than morphine. This stuff is no joke.
Back in 2015, I had my firsthand experience with fentanyl—thankfully, the legal kind. I had a nasty fall that shattered my left thigh bone beyond repair, fractured the right one, broke both my hips, and gave me a serious knock to the back of my head. The pain was excruciating. The doctors, doing their best to help, put me on fentanyl to manage the pain. That’s when the “fun” began.
One afternoon, my caregiver was pushing me down Ayala Avenue in my wheelchair, and suddenly, I found myself in the middle of a snowstorm. Now, if you know anything about Manila, you know snow is not in the weather forecast—ever. But there I was, feeling ice crystals hit my face, seeing snowflakes whirl around me.
I had a few more of those—massive dragons, giant centipedes, and, amusingly, naked women dancing around me. I wasn’t exactly complaining about the last one. I once couldn’t walk by a mirror without seeing myself in it—the face staring back at me was a fully battle-dressed Japanese samurai with a top-knot hairstyle, holding a katana. I once watched an entire thrilling Ateneo versus De La Salle basketball game on TV, then later found out the TV had not even been plugged in.
Despite these wild side effects, the drug did its job and took away the unbearable pain. But this experience made me realize just how powerful—and dangerous—this drug can be. Legal fentanyl has its place in hospitals, where doctors can control its dosage and keep an eye on patients. But when it’s made and used illegally, it’s a whole different story. These illegal versions are killing people—hundreds of thousands worldwide. The stuff is so potent that just a tiny dose, about two milligrams, can be lethal. That’s like fitting death on the edge of your pinky finger.
Illegal fentanyl often gets mixed into fake pills or even candy, making it all too easy to unknowingly consume a deadly dose. This crisis has been hitting hard, especially in the US, where it’s taken the lives of people from all walks of life—teens experimenting with drugs, professionals, the homeless, and even some kids who accidentally came into contact with it. Early on, criminals, particularly those involved in Mexican drug cartels, realized how profitable fentanyl was. They don’t need large fields to grow poppies like they do for heroin; they just need a lab and some precursor chemicals. And China, for a while, was a big supplier of those chemicals. It’s scary to think how easily fentanyl has infiltrated countries, including the Philippines. The Mexican cartels have found countless ways to smuggle it into the US, making it a global crisis.
But for all its dangers, I have to admit that when I was in that hospital bed, in unbelievable pain, fentanyl was a godsend. It dulled the pain when I needed it most. So next time you are in a hospital, and your pain makes your teeth grind and your toes curl, they may give you morphine. But if you start banging your head against the wall and start wishing the pain upon your spouse, that would be the signal to give you fentanyl. It will alleviate the pain, but it is not without side effects. Forewarned is forearmed.
Author can be reached at antediluvianist@gmail.com.
