R to @Liv_Boeree: It’s super easy to get Fentanyl *right now*. People buy it in open air drug markets in SF and take it right in front of you in broad daylight! They don’t even try to hide. I see this almost every time I drive to Twitter.
Just as with alcohol prohibition, people didn’t actually stop drinking, but they did start drinking badly made alcohol (Moonshine), which could be poisonous, depending on how it was made and what contaminants were present.
The strength of Fentanyl means that even a small dosage increase can be fatal. People are rarely trying to commit suicide, but they can easily inadvertently take too much. Therefore, it seems likely to me that pharma-grade quality and precise dosage will dramatically reduce deaths.
A limited time and location test of this policy is worth trying, as our current approach is failing badly.