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Knowledge Nugget: What must you know about Opioid Fentanyl for UPSC?

India has been named a 'state actor' in fentanyl trafficking by US amid Trump’s tariff threats. But what is fentanyl? Also, go beyond the nuggets to learn about the Death Triangle and the Death Crescent.

upsc, knowledge nugget, fentanyl, opioids, golden triangle, golden crescent

The issue with fentanyl is that it can be 30 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine. (Representational Image)

Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here’s your knowledge nugget for today.

Knowledge Nugget: Fentanyl – Opioid

Subject: Security and illicit drugs

(Relevance: Drug trafficking is a major threat to a country’s security. India is sandwiched between the Death (Golden) Triangle and the Death (Golden) Crescent which poses a significant challenge in controlling the illicit drug trade. With the rise in drug smuggling and fatalities due to overdose of opioids, this is the biggest concern that the world is facing. Therefore, it becomes important to have a broader understanding of the topic.)

Why in the news?

The United States has named India, along with China, a “state actor” in enabling direct and indirect supply of precursor chemicals and equipment used by drug traffickers, particularly in the production of illicit fentanyl. This is the first time that Washington has placed New Delhi on the same level as Beijing in connection with the supply of precursor chemicals used by drug cartels to manufacture opioids like fentanyl.

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Key Takeaways:

1. The ‘2025 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA)’—a coordinated evaluation of global threats to US interests- stated that fentanyl and other synthetic opioids remain the deadliest drugs trafficked into the US, responsible for over 52,000 deaths in the 12-month period ending October 2024.

2. “Non-state groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers. China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India,” according to the Assessment.

3. Fentanyl is a potent, fast-acting synthetic opioid, meaning it can be chemically manufactured in a laboratory. Unlike opioids, such as morphine and codeine, which are derived from the opium poppy plants, fentanyl is entirely synthetic.

4. Opioids are a class of drugs that “derive from, or mimic, natural substances found in the opium poppy plant”, according to the website of the US-based Johns Hopkins Medicine. Some common opioids include oxycodone, morphine, codeine, heroin, and fentanyl. It is used for the management of severe pain in cancer patients or those who have undergone various surgeries.

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4. The issue with fentanyl is that it can be 30 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine and is fast-acting, leading to a rapid and high number of overdose deaths. Fentanyl-related overdoses resulted in more than 69 per cent of the total overdose deaths in the US.

Zombie drug

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, when xylazine (tranq) which is not an opioid is consumed after mixing with fentanyl, it leads to severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue—which may lead to amputation. That’s why xylazine and the mixture with fentanyl are called “zombie drugs.”

5. India does manufacture synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl and Tramadol. However, it is not the legal export of the drug that is a cause of concern. Illicit trade of Fentanyl and its precursor chemicals NPP and ANPP are what the US is targeting. While China continues to be the primary source of these chemicals, there has been some shift of illicit manufacturing to India after China strengthened its regulations on NPP and ANPP in 2018.

6. According to a 2019 survey conducted by the AIIMS National Drug Dependence and Treatment Centre in India, heroin and its derivatives like smack continue to be the most common opioids leading to addiction. An estimated 63 lakh people are addicted to heroin as compared to 25 lakh to pharmaceutical opioids.

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An estimated 63 lakh people are addicted to heroin as compared to 25 lakh to pharmaceutical opioids. (Representative image)

7. According to the United Nations World Drug Report 2024, global cocaine production reached a record high in 2022, with over 2,700 tonnes produced and 355,000 hectares under coca bush cultivation—a 20 per cent increase from the previous year.

Pink cocaine

A toxicology report of former One Direction singer Liam Payne found several substances in his system, including a drug referred to as “pink cocaine.” Despite its name, pink cocaine doesn’t typically contain cocaine. Instead, it is a powdery blend of substances, often including ketamine, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), or opioids, according to WebMD.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Death (Golden) Crescent and Death (Golden) Triangle

1. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), two significant regions of drug production and drug trafficking are the “Golden Crescent” and “Golden Triangle”. Golden Crescent includes illicit opium production areas in Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; and the “Golden Triangle” covers Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos.

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2. “India has been seen as sandwiched between the Death (Golden) Crescent and Death (Golden) Triangle. The country is being flooded with drugs, especially heroin and methamphetamine, from these two regions. Nearly 90 per cent of the world’s demand for these drugs is being met from these two regions. India is both a big market and a transit route for other countries,” wrote Rakesh Asthana.

3. In 2023, Union Home Minister while speaking at conference on ‘Drugs Smuggling and National Security’ said that “Earlier the main area of drug smuggling was called ‘Golden Triangle’ and ‘Golden Crescent’, but the government of India has proposed internationally that it should be named as ‘Death Triangle’ and ‘Death Crescent’. This approach shows the direction and intensity of our fight against drugs.”

Post read question

Consider the following countries:

1. India

2. Laos

3. Myanmar

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Which of the following countries forms part of the Death (Golden) triangle?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

Answer key

(b)

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Khushboo Kumari

Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: khushboo.kumari@indianexpress.com ... Read More

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