Four prevalent themes in the discussion
- Detection limits hinder wastewater monitoring of fentanyl
- “Did wastewater drug monitoring for a while, and the annoying bit was fentanyl metabolites sitting near the detection limit, so absence isn’t proof.” – hnrprtlpdb
- “I assume drugs that are potent in tiny quantities leave less metabolites.” – vintermann
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“If it’s below the noise floor, then you didn’t really detect it, did you.” – tantalor
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Economic incentives drive fentanyl’s rise
- “Fentanyl is not a better high. It's decidedly less euphoric than traditional opioids. It's just dirt cheap, ridiculously potent so it's easier to traffic… The market pressure for fent is completely on the supply side.” – compass_copium
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“Fentanyl isn’t a better high is just (much) cheaper to ship/transport given its potency.” – talon8635
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Organized crime’s strategic choices shape fentanyl’s spread
- “There's been a criminal civil war raging between HAs and every other smaller org that wants to expand… HAs have lost some feathers in pretty gruesome ways.” – pluc
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“Internal destabilizing of the opposition is a tried and well‑working practice of inter‑empire warfare.” – joinHNtheysaid
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Drug policy debates focus on prohibition vs. regulation
- “I'd blame myself for giving them that market, and then I'd start pushing hard for a drug policy that actually makes sense, as opposed trying to continue a policy of drug prohibition which has spent the last 100+ years completely failing…” – achenet
- “A war on drugs can only be won through heavy penalties on the users and the political classes refuse to come down hard on the users…” – m101