To maintain affordability and enhance the drug's effects, heroin dealers began mixing it with more powerful synthetic opioids. Common additives included fentanyl and carfentanyl, which significantly increased the potency of the heroin being sold.

Adulteration of Heroin with Synthetic Opioids

Faced with the inability to get legal prescriptions and the prohibitive cost of opioids on the black market, many individuals addicted to prescription painkillers turned to heroin. Heroin offered a much cheaper alternative, costing as little as \$5 per dose, which allowed users to manage their withdrawal symptoms.

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As a direct consequence of stricter prescription controls, a black market for opioid medications emerged. This illicit market was characterized by extremely high prices, with a single pill of a drug like OxyContin costing \$80 or more.

Emergence of a Black Market for Prescription Opioids

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

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