Question

Compared with 30 years ago, the potency of the heroin now available on the street:

a) is greater
b) is weaker
c) is more or less the same with respect to potency
d) fluctuates wildly and randomly from year to year
e) remains unknown

Answer 1

Heroin available on the street today is more potent compared to 30 years ago due to the increased addition of synthetic opioids like Fentanyl, which has led to a rise in drug overdoses.

Step-by-step explanation:

Compared with 30 years ago, the potency of the heroin now available on the street is greater. The scarcity of prescription pain pills due to more aggressive policing and the reformulation of drugs like Oxycodone has driven addicted individuals towards cheaper and more potent illicit alternatives, such as heroin and synthetic opioids like Fentanyl. These substances are manufactured by crime syndicates and have contributed to a significant increase in drug overdoses. Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the medical use of prescription painkillers which has led to more people becoming addicted to these medications. As a result, many have switched to heroin as it became more affordable and accessible. To make heroin more potent and maintain its affordability, dealers have increasingly been cutting it with highly potent synthetic opioids, leading to an even greater risk of overdose and death.