A new wave of synthetic drugs is spreading across the United States, prompting fears that the country’s drug crisis could deteriorate further. Communities in Chicago’s South Side are among those facing the impact of the developments.
The crisis has placed pressure on neighbourhoods where residents and local communities are confronting the presence of synthetic substances. The situation forms part of a wider national concern about the spread of drugs produced to imitate the effects of other substances.
Reporting from the front line in Chicago, Quentin Sommerville examined how people in the South Side are responding to the challenge. The account focuses on the communities dealing directly with the effects of the synthetic drug wave and the broader fears surrounding its growth.
The material available does not provide details of specific substances, casualty figures, official interventions or proposed measures. It describes the situation as an emerging national drug crisis, with Chicago’s South Side offering a view of the challenges facing affected communities.
