Credit: DEA
NEW YORK - The country is grappling to fight the dark undercurrent thread that's woven itself into the fabric of everyday life: the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
In 2023, New York's division of the Drug Enforcement Administration alone seized 37 million lethal doses of fentanyl, accounting for 10% of lethal doses seized nationwide.
As a result of this epidemic, nearly 6,000 New Yorkers died of drug poisoning – half of those were in New York City, according to DEA NY.
FILE - A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chemist checks confiscated powder containing fentanyl at the DEA Northeast Regional Laboratory on October 8, 2019 in New York. (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)
RELATED: Nearly $1.5 million of fentanyl seized in the Bronx, blocks away from daycare where 1-year-old died
Fentanyl in New York
DEA NY seized 4.2 million fake fentanyl pills and over 500 kilograms of fentanyl powder in 2023, which is the equivalent of potentially 37 million lethal doses. In total, more than 386 million deadly doses of fentanyl were seized in the U.S. last year.
The NYC Department of Health, reported the highest number of drug overdoses on record last year, with 3,026 people dying, a 12% increase from the year before. Its key contributor, fentanyl, is reportedly the most common substance present in four out of five overdose deaths in the city.
"Reports are that New York, like everywhere else in the country, it's accessible. You never have to go more than a few blocks to find someone who’s trafficking it," said Harry Nelson, a healthcare professional and author of the United States of Opioids.
In New York, there was a significant increase in drug use and drug-related seizures:
- 270% increase in methamphetamine seizures in New York (2022 to 2023)
- 307% increase in methamphetamine pills in New York (2022 to 2023)
- 55% increase in cocaine seizures in New York (2022 to 2023)
- 119% increase in fentanyl pill seizures in New York (2022 to 2023)
RELATED: $5 million worth of fentanyl found in secret gas tank of SUV in the Bronx
In Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, little red containers made of plastic were recently discovered throughout, including the central lawn and the playground areas. Fearing they may contain fentanyl, a warning was sent out from park officials telling visitors to be careful.
In the Bronx this fall, law enforcement officers seized over 40 pounds of fentanyl, worth nearly $1.5 million following the overdose death of a 1-year-old at a daycare.
Then over the summer, officials found 300,000 fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl and over 11 pounds of powdered fentanyl inside a secret gas tank compartment of a red Ford Expedition in the Bronx.
US fentanyl deaths
Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the CDC.
Tests confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the bundles of blue pills. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection )
Since fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, a little can be lethal.
Officials say drug cartels rely on synthetic drugs to make them cheap, convenient, and appealing to users.
Fentanyl Trafficking
DEA officials say they are focused on defeating two cartels it claims are responsible for most of the fentanyl flooding the country: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel.
According to them, these cartels purchase chemicals from companies in China, mass produce in Mexico, and then traffic and distribute finished fentanyl throughout the United States.