Drug use has only increased through the past years. Habit forming drugs have been one of the main culprits to such an increase. Though most see marijuana as a gateway drug, it is less addictive than alcohol. (4 Myths about Marijuanna Addiction 2013) The greatest threat to the safety and security of the United States in terms of drugs would be opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and OxyContin. Between 2013 and 2014, deaths due to opioid overdose increased 79 percent. (DEA Public Affairs 2016) Due to the addictive nature of opioids, it will likely increase in demand before it will decline.
Both Fentanyl and OxyContin are legal drugs, but often used illicitly. Recent legislature has tightened regulations on prescription drugs such as fentanyl and OxyContin, making them less accessible and more valuable. Unfortunately, enforcing such legislation only opened the door for a black market for prescription drugs, which the Mexican Cartels have taken full advantage of. Fentanyl is not only highly addictive, but it is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2016) The Mexican cartels have created a synthetic form of the drug, making it even more dangerous due to lacking regulations of its chemical properties and dosage. The drug is often used to supplement heroin as a filler to increase its potency and marketed as pure heroin. Unfortunately, this practice has caused a significant increase in overdoses throughout the country. OxyContin is also produced in a synthetic form within Mexican cartel labs as well. The consequences mirror that of the Fentanyl made there as well.
The demand for pure opioids such as heroin is still on the rise as well. When individuals are unable to obtain opioid prescriptions any longer, and have become addicted during their legal or illegal use of it, many turn to heroin. It is unknown how much heroin in successfully smuggled into the United States on a daily basis, but the DEA concluded that nearly 42 metric tons of heroin is produced within Mexico every year. (Woody 2015) Not only those that are the main consumers of opioids losing their lives, but the continuing demand for opioids within America continues to exacerbate the cartel wars within Mexico, sometimes spilling over into the United States and killing the innocent as well.
References
"4 Myths about Marijuanna Addiction." LeafScience.com. November 28, 2013. http://www.leafscience.com/2013/11/28/4-myths-marijuana-addiction/ (accessed September 6, 2016).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Injury Prevention & Control: Opioid Overdose." CDC.gov. June 3, 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/fentanyl.html (accessed September 6, 2016).
DEA Public Affairs. "DEA Releases 2016 National Heroin Threat Assessment Summary." DEA.gov. June 27, 2016. https://www.dea.gov/divisions/hq/2016/hq062716.shtml (accessed September 6, 2016).
North, Campbell. "Mexican Drug Cartels Ramping Up Production Of Deadly Drug." The Daily Caller . June 9, 2016. http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/09/mexican-drug-cartels-ramping-up-production-of-deadly-drug/ (accessed September 6, 2016).
Woody, Christopher. "We have a clearer picture of who's fueling the US heroin epidemic — and how they're doing it." BusinessInsider.com. November 15, 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/us-heroin-coming-from-mexican-cartels (accessed September 6, 2016).
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