{"id":2205865,"date":"2024-07-19T17:59:32","date_gmt":"2024-07-19T08:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2205865"},"modified":"2024-07-22T17:37:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-22T08:37:21","slug":"alarm-as-illegal-fentanyl-sale-grips-south-korean-youth-fueling-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/07\/alarm-as-illegal-fentanyl-sale-grips-south-korean-youth-fueling-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"Alarm as illegal fentanyl sale grips South Korean youth, fueling addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"
New government data revealing a rise in online fentanyl purchases by South Korean teenagers has ignited a debate over how to tackle the country\u2019s growing problem and prevent misuse of the highly addictive pain medication.<\/span><\/p>\n Data obtained by <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> from Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yoon’s office shows that authorities detected over 200 cases of illegal online fentanyl sales from January to June, an increase from the 62 cases detected throughout 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) reported a rise in fentanyl patch prescriptions among teenagers in the data. In 2022, healthcare providers issued 2,014 prescriptions, which rose to 2,424 in 2023. By April 2024, doctors had already dispensed 518 prescriptions to 106 teenagers.<\/span><\/p>\n Experts have cautioned that these statistics may reflect Seoul\u2019s stricter anti-drug regulations rather than a genuine increase in fentanyl usage, urging a careful interpretation of the data. They stressed the importance of prevention, education and enhanced data accuracy to effectively combat the rise in fentanyl use.<\/span><\/p>\n INCREASING USE OF FENTANYL PATCHES<\/b><\/p>\n MFDS data reveals fentanyl patches are being prescribed to teenagers, despite regulations limiting such prescriptions to patients aged 18 and older.<\/span><\/p>\n Between January and April this year, 106 teenagers aged 19 and under received 518 prescriptions, resulting in the dispensing of 749 fentanyl patches. Last year, 383 teenagers within the same age group were prescribed fentanyl patches.<\/span><\/p>\n While the data highlights a rise in fentanyl patch prescriptions among patients under 19, experts caution against drawing premature conclusions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to fully interpret the data based on the numbers alone, as the increase in figures might be due to increased crackdowns from authorities,\u201d said Paek Seung Mann, a professor of medicinal chemistry at Gyeongsang National University, stressing the need for more comprehensive data.<\/span><\/p>\n Cheong Jae-hoon, a professor of pharmacy studies at Jeonbuk University, echoed this sentiment, noting that the data does not contain exactly what kinds of patients are being prescribed fentanyl.<\/span><\/p>\n Noting that doctors typically prescribe fentanyl to patients suffering from chronic pain, the experts explained that while more data is needed, the increase in teen usage of fentanyl patches is cause for concern. <\/span><\/p>\n