Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has killed hundreds of people in the United States, particularly young people, is raising concerns in Italy. The government has decided to tighten control over the trade in so-called "precursors" of drugs: chemical substances with which dangerous synthetic drugs can be produced in illegal laboratories, beginning with Fentanyl, which is used in medicine as an analgesic and can be at least 80 times stronger than morphine. Along with the decree, which essentially enhances penalties for anyone who violate the regulations governing the import and export of the ingredients used to make synthetic drugs, the government has created a National Prevention Plan to combat the misuse of Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Registration violations involving the marketing of these chemicals, as well as their import and export without compliance with notification obligations, are punishable by heavy fines and imprisonment.
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