Switzerland has no US-style fentanyl problem, says health minister
Elisabeth Baume-Schneider reassures about the threat of fentanyl
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Listening: Switzerland has no US-style fentanyl problem, says health minister
There is very little chance of a fentanyl epidemic reaching the same proportions in Switzerland as in the United States, Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has told parliament.
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Elisabeth Baume-Schneider rassure sur la menace du fentanyl
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Baume-Schneider made her remarks about this phenomenon in response to concerns expressed by cantons.
“I don’t want people to think that Switzerland is exposed to the same risks as the US when it comes to fentanyl, because that’s not the case”, she said, when asked about the consumption of this opioid, which is 50 times stronger than heroin.
Baume-Scheider pointed out that Switzerland has tools that have already proved their worth. The Federal Office of Public Health is in regular contact with cities and cantons on this subject, in case any measures need to be taken if fentanyl were to spread across the country, she added.
This opioid, which is wreaking havoc in the US, is causing concern in some cantons and municipalities. The city of Zurich announced last month that it had ordered 1,000 doses of naloxon, an emergency medication for fentanyl addiction.
There is as yet no fentanyl scene in Switzerland. It has, however, been detected on two occasions in Zurich, mixed with other drugs.
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