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Addiction Audio

Addiction journal

  • Synthetic opioid production in Europe with Paul Griffiths

Synthetic opioid production in Europe with Paul Griffiths

Thursday 4th April 2024

Paul Griffiths unpacks Europe's synthetic opioid crisis with Dr. Elle Wadsworth on 'Addiction Audio'. Learn about the challenges and response strategies.
33 minutes
Informative
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Synthetic Opioids in Europe: Paul Griffiths Breaks Down the Crisis

Episode Overview

  • Understanding the shift towards synthetic opioids in Europe
  • Exploring the complexities of drug supply and demand dynamics
  • Highlighting the risks and challenges posed by synthetic opioids
  • Emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring and response strategies
  • Discussing the role of forensic and toxicological resources in tackling the crisis
Drug markets are highly complex and dynamic... both demand and supply interact to create a market.
When you think of synthetic opioids, you might picture a distant issue, but for Europe, it's an evolving crisis. In this episode of 'Addiction Audio', Dr. Elle Wadsworth sits down with Paul Griffiths, the Scientific Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), to shed light on the complexities surrounding synthetic opioid production and its impact across the continent.
Paul dives into the differences between lab-made substances and diverted medical drugs, painting a vivid picture of how organized crime influences drug availability and the potential for contamination. They also touch on fentanyl and the looming threat of a heroin shortage due to changes in opium production in Afghanistan. What’s truly eye-opening is how small labs, sometimes as tiny as a kitchen setup, can cause significant spikes in local drug consumption and related deaths.
Paul shares fascinating insights into how researchers track these trends using innovative methods like wastewater analysis. If you're keen to understand the intricate dynamics of Europe's drug markets and the urgent need for better monitoring and response strategies, this episode is a must-listen.