Also in Austria

50 times stronger than heroin: fentanyl conquers Europe

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans die as a result of fentanyl abuse.(Bild: Jae C. Hong / AP / picturedesk.com, Krone KREATIV)

Almost 80,000 Americans die every year from the painkiller fentanyl. Now the artificially produced opiate, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, is gaining a foothold in Europe. Also in Austria. Krone+ explains the background.

The effect of fentanyl: much, much stronger than heroin. The addictive potential: enormous. The effects: deadly. The distribution: North America is hopelessly contaminated. For a long time, Europe was spared the devil's stuff. Until now. 

In Ireland, there were 54 drug-related emergencies within four days just last November. All of them were related to the killer drug fentanyl. Reports are also increasing in Germany and Switzerland - and Italy's cabinet secretary Alfredo Mantovano recently reported that the 'Ndrangheta, Italy's largest, richest and most powerful mafia organization, which controls the European cocaine market, wants to increase its trade in fentanyl. In short, the substance is on the rise on this side of the Atlantic.

So far, around 200 people have died from fentanyl in Europe every year. This figure is set to rise sharply in the future. Addiction officers and investigators are on the alert. "Yes, we are monitoring the international market extremely closely," confirms Daniel Lichtenegger, Head of the Office for Combating Drug-Related Crime at the Federal Criminal Police Office, in an interview with Die Krone. The UNODC is currently taking place in Vienna - among other things, the trade in the dangerous "zombie drug" is at the center of the drug control conference. The experts' fears are absolutely justified.