What is the 'zombie drug'?
Zombie drug is one of the popular terms used by the media to sensationalize some narcotics. When talking about psychoactive substances, we always take care to avoid colloquial and conventional terms, even such as the well-known “stimulants,” “drugs,” “medicines,” “legal highs.” It is more accurate to refer to the pharmacological division of substances, that is, primarily depressants, stimulants and psychedelics. Interestingly, all of these groups contain substances referred to as “zombie drugs.”
At the outset, we would like to point out that a sensationalist approach makes it difficult to understand the problem. Drug use is a symptom of social problems rather than merely a sign of personal failure. One reaches for psychoactive substances to satisfy a specific need. If such a need is to forget one’s own existence, then it is primarily a testament to the social system in which one lives.
Stimulants
In 2012, U.S. media described a horrific attack by a Florida resident who tried to bite off a homeless man’s face. Journalists were quick to conclude: it must be “flakka,” or a-PVP, one of the most potent stimulant synthetic cathinones. However, this substance was not detected in the toxicology test of the perpetrator of the aforementioned incident. Only traces of marijuana, which is not known for causing aggression, were found. Instead of the murderous drug, mental disorders were to blame.
Psychedelics & cannabinoids
Psychedelics, i.e. drugs that primarily potentiate stimuli and sensations, have also lived to be called “zombies.” In particular, we’re talking about synthetic cannabinoids, that is, substances similarly to the main active ingredient in cannabis THC that affect cannabinoid receptors, but drastically more potent (e.g. MDMB-CHMINACA). They carry a risk of death and the effects are so strong that they can result in an attack of psychosis on the one hand and falling asleep standing up on the other. They have even been detected in Dutch coffeeshops, so you can certainly expect them on the streets as well.
Depresants
With the ongoing opioid epidemic in the US, the phrase “zombie drug” has also begun to be used to describe people under the influence of opioid depressants such as fentanyl, or more recently nitazenes. People under the influence of powerful painkillers and their derivatives, including heroin or xylazine (“tranq”), often act as if they are barely conscious. This is because they try to take the maximum dose to feel chemical bliss but not enough to lose consciousness.
In this article, we will focus on fentanyl, which is currently referred to in Poland as the “zombie drug.”
Lethal dose of fentanyl
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl drug
Fentanyl is the strongest painkiller used in hospitals, dozens of times more potent than morphine. The dose of this opioid is measured in micrograms, for which reason it is sometimes used in patch form. Skin contact is sufficient for the active dose of the substance to enter the body. Sometimes prescriptions for patches are scammed and users apply them on their own, also extracting to increase the concentration of the dose.
Fentanyl – legal high?
However, when it comes to fentanyl used outside of a medical context, the overwhelming majority is dealing with derivatives such as furanylfentanyl or carfentanyl, for example. Often these are even more potent than the original, the cost of production is similar so it is more profitable for dealers to turn as strong as possible. Although many fentanyl derivatives were initially introduced as so called legal highs, they are no longer legal in most jurisdictions.
Fentanyl – effects
As an opioid much more potent than morphine or heroin, fentanyl has an exceptionally high risk not only of addiction, but also of overdose. Due to its particularly potent effects, the risk of addiction is also exceptionally high. Life-threatening adverse effects include, first and foremost, respiratory depression, i.e. disabling the respiratory center, resulting in suffocation.
Fentanyl – where is it found?
Derivatives or so-called “analogs” of fentanyl are found in depressants: opioid substances and counterfeit benzodiazepines. Opioids are mainly morphine, heroin or oxycodone, and benzodiazepines are alprazolam (xanax) and the like.
In the United States, fentanyl is known to have been detected in stimulants (such as cocaine) or even psychedelics (at least one person died after taking fentanyl, which was thought to be a DMT hallucinogen). This phenomenon, however, has not yet been reported in Europe, probably due to the much smaller scale of opioid trafficking so there is less risk of accidental contamination.
Comparison of lethal doses of heroin, carfentanil and fentanyl
Fentanyl in Poland – victims of fentanyl
Contrary to media reports, fentanyl in Poland is not a popular substance. First of all, it is found in a relatively small and non-growing population of injecting (intravenous) drug users. It is mixed with heroin mixed to cheaply increase potency. This unfortunately compounds the risk of overdose.
According to the GIS report, in 2023, all fatal incidents possibly related to fentanyl and new psychoactive substances totaled 28. However, the prevalence of non-medical use of drugs, including inevitably counterfeit ones, is alarming. According to ESPAD surveys, as many as one in five or one in six teenagers in Poland have drugged themselves with drugs.
Fentanyl price
The price of fentanyl varies. In Poland, patches of pharmaceutical origin are quite expensive, costing about 150 zlotys (source: hyperreal.info). However, it can be bought in tablets (such as fake oxycodone) or powder (usually in derivative form) for as little as a dozen zlotys.
Fentanyl – where to buy
Where does fentanyl come from? Drugs although mostly illegal are not hard to find. You can buy them from friends or dealers you meet in person, but also increasingly through the Internet. Prescriptions are available online and advertisements can be found on social media, instant messaging apps (especially Telegram) as well as on the so-called darknet, the encrypted and anonymous equivalent of “www” sites.
How to identify fentanyl
Fentanyl cannot be recognized with the naked eye, but fentanyl tests can be used to determine or rule out its presence. When fentanyl is mixed with heroin, cocaine or other substances it is never mixed evenly. The powder on one side of the bag may contain no fentanyl while the powder on the other side may contain a lethal amount. It is extremely important to always test each dose intended for consumption.
Instructions to how to detect fentanyl
Test for fentanyl
The best drug test for fentanyl is the PRO Test strip for Fentanyl. Used according to the instructions, it gives reliable (though not 100% certain) information about potential fentanyl content. In summary, laboratory analysis is of course best, but if you want quick results or don’t have access to a lab, it’s crucial to use drug tests according to the instructions. If in doubt, feel free to contact us, we are always here to help.
Recommended fentanyl drug test:
No test kit results can guarantee if a substance is safe. No substance is 100% safe.
