A wave of homemade synthetic drugs is deepening the drug crisis in the United States, as the country confronts an epidemic described as deadly.
The substances are being produced outside established pharmaceutical or regulated systems, adding a new dimension to the challenges posed by drug misuse. Their spread has prompted concern as communities and services deal with the consequences of an evolving crisis.
Accounts from people who use the drugs and those involved in supplying them provide insight into how the substances are reaching users. Their experiences form part of a broader picture of an epidemic that is affecting people in and beyond drug-taking communities.
The impact is also being seen in prisons and recovery services. Workers in both settings have described the pressures created by the changing drug landscape, while recovery staff continue to work with people affected by substance use.
The available information does not identify particular substances, locations or measures being taken in response. It indicates, however, that the United States remains engaged in a serious and ongoing battle against the spread of synthetic drugs, with users, dealers, prison workers and recovery professionals all encountering its effects.