US Grapples With Surge in Potent Synthetic Drugs
Authorities express growing concern over cheaper, more powerful synthetic substances like tranq impacting communities nationwide.
A new wave of synthetic drugs is sweeping across the United States, fueling fears of an escalating drug crisis. While national overdose deaths have decreased from their 2022 peak, officials are increasingly alarmed by the proliferation of cheaper, more potent synthetic substances.
Among the substances causing concern is tranq, an animal tranquilizer that has begun to appear in communities across the U.S. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville reports from the frontlines in Chicago's South Side, where residents and authorities are actively battling the impact of these drugs.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced a commitment to cracking down on drug cartels, designating many of these organizations as terrorist entities. Despite these efforts and a reported decline in drug overdose deaths from approximately 110,000 in 2022 to around 70,000 last year, the long-standing drug crisis in America shows signs of accelerating due to these novel synthetic compounds.