A new strain of meth and the continued prevalence of fentanyl have contributed to an increasingly dire national housing crisis, award-winning journalist and author Sam Quinones told a group of USC students on Tuesday. In his new book, “The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth,” Quinones explores how the Mexican drug trafficking world capitalized on an opioid-addicted population using fentanyl.
The current strain of meth found throughout the United States is made with a much cheaper ingredient than before, a chemical compound referred to as P2P, Quinones said. This meth results in a slew of dangerous side effects, including hallucinations, which can inhibit an individual’s ability to interact with others.
“They hijack the brain in very serious ways and turn the brain away from self-interest and self-protection,” Quinones said. “And to me, that is what characterizes addiction more than almost anything else. It’s the turning away from the impulses that keep us alive.”
He also said that those recovering from addiction require a “continuum of care.” Furthermore, because of a general lack of funding and lack of urgency in combating homelessness, finding rehabilitation services becomes even more difficult.
“What you find is that people have really not done the life repair, the life repair that needs to be done and they need that,” Quinones said. “These are the kinds of services they need to be available for people all across this country.”
Quinones also discussed the danger of the presence of fentanyl in many addictive street drugs. He described the deadly substance as “about the same as firing a gun into a crowd.”
Fentanyl has been a subject of recent conversation around drug use in the USC community. In 2019, nine USC students overdosed, bringing attention to the need for accessible drug testing kits and Narcan, an emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
“I think the university can actually do themselves a favor by providing more education,” said CEO of TACO Madeline Hillard. “I think if the university did make it more public information that if you call 9-1-1 for an overdose, we’re not going to get you in trouble, that would help save lives.”
According to the Canadian-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, fentanyl is up to 100 times as powerful as morphine, and even a small amount can result in overdose or death.
The National Coalition for the Homeless has found that 26% of unhoused individuals are dependent on harmful substances. Quinones expressed his desire for more honest and thorough reporting at the intersections between the housing crisis and the opioid epidemic.
The USC Department of Public Safety has a full amnesty policy with overdose cases, and will not discipline anyone who calls in need of drug-related assistance. Fentanyl-testing strips can be purchased on Duffl for a mere penny.