In recent weeks, videos of people staggering through the streets of Zagreb have been circulating on social networks, and many users claim that they are the consequences of fentanyl consumption. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has caused a serious public health crisis in the United States and claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Social media flooded with footage of a series of distracted people; they walk naked, jump on cars…
Such announcements caused concern among citizens and raised the question of whether fentanyl really appeared on the Croatian drug market, including in Split. In order to check whether there is official information about his presence, we sent an inquiry to the Split-Dalmatia Police Department. The Split-Dalmatia Public Prosecutor’s Office replied that there are currently no recorded cases that would indicate the presence of this dangerous drug.
– In the area of PU SD, we have no recorded seizures of fentanyl or drugs containing fentanyl, as well as cases of overdose or deaths related to fentanyl. Prevention and suppression activities are undertaken in accordance with the national drug (addiction) suppression strategy – said the Service for Report Analytics and Public Relations of the PU of Split-Dalmatia.
Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid, many times more potent than morphine, and its illegal distribution has been one of the biggest security and health problems in the US and part of Europe in recent years.
Precisely because of its strength and high risk of overdose, any information about its possible appearance on the domestic market attracts a lot of public attention.
For now, however, according to the data of the PU of Split-Dalmatia, there are no officially recorded seizures, overdoses or deaths related to fentanyl in the area of their jurisdiction.
Whether it will turn out that the fears of the citizens are justified or whether it is a matter of speculation inspired by viral videos, will be shown by the further actions of the competent institutions.
