Concern grows in US over new wave of synthetic drugs, BBC reports from Chicago
A new wave of cheaper, more powerful synthetic drugs is spreading across the United States, and authorities fear the drug crisis could worsen. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville reports from Chicago's South Side, where communities are fighting it.
A new wave of synthetic drugs is spreading across the United States, raising fears that the country's drug crisis is getting worse. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville reports from the South Side of Chicago, where local communities are battling the problem on the frontline. The video contains descriptions of drug-taking and distressing images.
What the overdose figures show
Drug overdose deaths in the US have fallen in recent years. They peaked at around 110,000 in 2022 and were roughly 70,000 last year.
However, America's decades-long drug crisis may now be accelerating. Authorities are increasingly worried about cheaper, more powerful synthetic drugs. One of them is an animal tranquilliser known as tranq.
The political response
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump pledged a crackdown on drug cartels. He designated many of them as terrorist organisations.
The report also points viewers to a longer BBC article on the synthetic drug crisis sweeping the US. The camera journalist for the video was Darren Conway.
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