Synthetic drug crisis grips Chicago as US overdose deaths remain at 70,000

A new wave of powerful synthetic drugs is sweeping US cities, with Chicago's South Side among the hardest-hit communities. Overdose deaths fell from 110,000 in 2022 but remain at roughly 70,000.

Chicago on the frontline of America's synthetic drug surge

A new generation of cheaper, more potent synthetic drugs is flooding American streets, and bbc.co.uk reports that communities in Chicago's South Side are among those bearing the heaviest burden.

Drug overdose deaths in the United States peaked at around 110,000 in 2022 before falling to roughly 70,000 last year. Authorities warn, however, that the underlying crisis may be accelerating rather than easing, driven by substances including tranq — an animal tranquilliser now appearing in street drug supplies.

President Donald Trump earlier this year pledged a crackdown on drug cartels, designating many of them as terrorist organisations.

BBC correspondent Quentin Sommerville reported from South Side, Chicago, where residents and local organisations are confronting the surge in synthetic drug use directly. The report includes accounts of drug-taking and distressing imagery from affected neighbourhoods.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)