PUERTO VALLARTA – Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives approved an amendment to halt just over $60 million in aid projects destined for Mexico. This action is seen as a response to the perceived “lack of will” by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s government in combating fentanyl trafficking, a sentiment echoed by the Republican Party.
The decision followed a statement made by President López Obrador, asserting that fentanyl is neither produced nor consumed within Mexico. This claim was refuted by Republican Representative Alex Mooney while discussing the amendment in the House.
The dangers of fentanyl are sharply felt on both sides of the border. Between 2019 and 2021, 58 individuals died due to fentanyl overdoses in various Mexican states. Moreover, unreported cases have come to light where individuals succumbed to the drug at home. Although a request for updated figures was made, the 2023 data has not been provided yet.
In the United States, the situation is alarming. Fentanyl-related fatalities rose from 70,000 in 2021 to nearly 79,000 in 2022, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The highly lethal nature of fentanyl is spotlighted by its minimal lethal dose, equivalent to merely 10 to 15 grains of salt, around two milligrams, as explained by María Luisa Muñoz Almaguer from the University Center of Exact Sciences and Engineering (CUCEI) at the University of Guadalajara.
Furthermore, individuals require increasing amounts of the substance to achieve the same effect over time, escalating overdose risks. In cases of overdose, the victims can experience convulsions and succumb to cardiorespiratory arrest rather than euphoria.
Dr. Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez, a specialist in infectious diseases, highlighted fentanyl’s potency, being ten times stronger than morphine. Due to its synthetic nature, fentanyl is easier to process and has become a widely misused drug outside medical settings, sidestepping the cultivation requirement seen in other opiates like heroin and morphine.
Despite its dangerous illicit usage, both experts reiterated that fentanyl has been utilized safely in medical settings for many years, with strictly controlled prescriptions ensuring patient safety. However, the ongoing illicit trafficking and associated fatalities continue to strain the US-Mexico relations, prompting decisive legislative action from the US House of Representatives.
PUERTO VALLARTA - Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives approved an amendment to halt just over $60 million in aid projects destined for Mexico . . .
