JOSH: WELCOME BACK TO OUR
ONE-HOUR TOWNHALL, FOCUSING ON
THE STATE'S WERE ON HEROIN.
AMY: THIS YEAR, DRUGS HAVE
ALREADY KILLED 211 PEOPLE, BUT
THE MEDICAL EXAMINER SAYS IT IS
FENTANYL THAT HAS KILLED THE
MOST PEOPLE, SORT OF THE SILENT
ENEMY IN THIS.
YOU GAVE ME QUITE A PRIMER ON
FENTANYL BEFORE WE GOT UNDERWAY.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE NOT
UNDERSTANDING?
MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WE
CALL THIS IS THAT WE ARE ALL
HERE TALKING.
THE FACT THAT FENTANYL IS THE
PLAYER IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE,
BECAUSE OF ITS POTENCY.
THIS FENTANYL THAT IS BEING
MIXED WITH OR SEEN ALONE WITH
THE STREET-LEVEL DRUGS BEING
SOLD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE FENTANYL
THAT MIGHT BE USED IN A HOSPITAL
SETTING OR AS AN OUTPATIENT.
THIS IS CLANDESTINELY PRODUCED
SYNTHETIC FENTANYL COMING FROM
MEXICO OR OTHER LABS IN SOUTH
AMERICA UP ALONG THE
PRE-EXISTING DISTRIBUTION ROUTES
FOR HEROIN, BUT IT MAKES A LOT
MORE ECONOMIC SENSE FOR THESE
DISTURBING IS TO SWITCH TO FENCE
NO -- DISTRIBUTORS TO SWITCH TO
FENTANYL.
AMY: WE ARE NOT HEARING ABOUT
FENTANYL.
MAYBE THAT IS OUR BAD IN THE
MEDIA.
FENTANYL IS NOT SHOWING UP IN A
TYPICAL TOXICOLOGY SCREEN WHEN
SUMMATIVE PASSES AWAY.
DR. KOLM: BECAUSE OF ITS
CHEMICAL STRUCTURE, IT DOES NOT
APPEAR ON A ROUTINE URINE
SCREENING TEST TESTING FOR A
BROAD CLASS OF OPIATES.
AND THE PERSON AT THE STREET
LEVEL REALLY THINK THEY ARE
BUYING HEROIN.
IT IS BEING MARKETED AS HEROIN.
LARGELY IT HAS THE SAME EFFECTS
AS HEROIN, BUT THE THING TO
REMEMBER ABOUT FENTANYL IS THAT
DEPENDING ON WHICH ANALOG YOU
ARE TALKING ABOUT, IT IS 50 TO
200 TIMES MORE POTENT THAN
MORPHINE, WHICH IS WHAT HEROIN
BECOMES IN THE BODY.
THIS IS A VERY DEADLY DRUGS, IN
TERMS OF POTENCY, IF THEY
HABITUATED PERSON IS USING THE
SAME AMOUNT THAT THEY THINK IS
HEROIN.
AMY: SO WE HAVE DEALERS CUTTING
FENTANYL INTO HEROIN, AND BUYERS
NOT KNOWING THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE
GETTING.
BUT THE FENTANYL IS NOT COMING
FROM PHARMACIES.
DR. KOLM: NO, THIS IS
CLANDESTINELY PRODUCED ILLICIT
FENTANYL ANALOGUES PRODUCED IN
CLANDESTINE LABORATORIES.
NOT PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE.
AMY: THE SAME MEXICAN CARTEL
PRODUCING HEROIN IS PRODUCING
THE FENTANYL IN MEXICO?
IT IS A BUSINESS DIVISION
THEY MAKE.
AMY: AND IT IS CHEAPER TO
PRODUCE?
VERY MUCH SO.
IF YOU HAVE A POPPY FIELD
PRODUCING HEROIN, THAT COST A
LOT TO MAINTAIN, AND YOU RUN THE
RISK OF THE AUTHORITIES COMING
AND BURNING IT TO ASH.
HOWEVER, WITH FENTANYL YOU CAN
MAKE IT IN KILOGRAM QUANTITIES
IN RELATIVELY SMALL LABS.
YOU CAN BE MOBILE AND GET IT
DISTRIBUTED ON THE STREET FOR
MUCH CHEAPER.
JOSH: CHIEF, IS THIS ALL IN A
NAME, OR IS THERE TWO DIFFERENT
FIGHTS HERE?
CHIEF WILLARD: THE DR. NAILED
IT.
IT IS A BUSINESS'S VISION --
BUSINESS DECISION OUT OF THE
CINDERELLA DRUG CARTEL OF MY --
SINALOA DRUG CARTEL OUT OF
MEXICO.
THEY BUILD SUPER LABS, BECAUSE
IT IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE.
THEY BRING IN CHINESE CHEMISTS
TO CREATE IT IN A SUPER LAP AND
TEACH MEXICANS HOW TO MAKE IT.
IT IS COMING UP THE EASTERN
SEABOARD.
LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS IS ONE
OF THE KEY AREAS.
MPD AND FEDERAL PARTNERS HAVE
SHUT DOWN TWO MANUFACTURING
CENTERS WHERE THEY MAKE SENSE
KNOW WITH WHEY PROTEIN OR
HEROIN.
WE GOT 15 KILOGRAMS OF PURE
FENTANYL IN ONE OF THESE HOUSES
IN LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.
THAT'S WHAT IS KILLING PEOPLE.
JOSH: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK --
WE ARE SEEING HARD-CORE USERS
ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR CUTS WITH
FENTANYL, AND A LAW ENFORCEMENT
COLLEAGUE OF MINE SAID THEY ARE