A new mixture of methamphetamine (Pervitin) and Fentanyl has sparked alarm at a music festival in the Czech Republic, with even small amounts potentially life-threatening.
At a so far unspecified music festival in the Czech Republic, a new drug has appeared combining Pervitin and Fentanyl. Experts warn of a particularly high risk of overdose due to this mixture.
Fentanyl is medically prescribed to treat severe pain, for example in cancer patients. In the United States, the substance causes thousands of overdose deaths every year. In the Czech Republic, a total of 77 people died from a drug overdose last year, with Fentanyl involved in 15 of these cases.
“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, the consumption of which can be life-threatening even in small amounts. The risk increases significantly when it is combined with other depressant substances such as alcohol or benzodiazepines (sleeping pills),” explains the National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addictions (NMS) in a press release.
The NMS points out that users often do not know that Fentanyl has been added to their drug – for example Pervitin. This can lead to unintentional overdoses. If signs such as extreme drowsiness, breathing problems, or unconsciousness occur, emergency services should be called immediately.
According to the police, fentanyl reaches the Czech Republic either as pain patches, often obtained legally by patients, or through leaks in pharmaceutical distribution onto the black market. The drug is highly potent: up to fifty times stronger than heroin and a hundred times stronger than morphine.
The Czech drug market continues to be dominated by methamphetamine – better known as Pervitin. The drug is considered by far the most dangerous addictive substance in the country, both from a criminal, health, and social perspective.
