The devastating effects of fentanyl, the distribution and sale of this drug, and the tormenting stories of its victims are the focal points of 'Fentanyl: A Deadly Epidemic' a two-part report airing on Cuatro.
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It’s 50 times more potent than heroin and has become the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 49. It can kill with just one dose, and today it claims 200 lives daily, annihilating the lives of countless families. The drug’s global reach is cause for alarm seeming unstoppable.
The first episode was successfully released in PT Cuatro with remarkable results:
- Prime Time (PT): The program’s recent airing achieved a remarkable 9.2% share during prime time.
- Audience Growth: We saw a substantial surge of +3.2 share points compared to the previous week’s broadcast.
- Surpassing Averages: Out of Range outperformed the channel’s daily average (6,2%) by +3.1 share points.
Presented and directed by the Ondas Award winner Alejandra Andrade, ‘Out of Range’ takes viewers to Los Angeles and San Francisco, epicenters of the epidemic caused by this powerful drug, to expose them to the raw reality that plagues their population. “The team conducted in-depth journalistic research on this drug, and we managed to interview traffickers, and victims, and give a human voice to the numbers of this pandemic. The filming has been incredibly tough: we have experienced firsthand the tragedy of people succumbing to overdose, ambulances overwhelmed with near-lethal cases, and thousands of addicts left abandoned by the authorities. I’ve been deeply struck by the age of the consumers, very young kids who got addicted very quickly. We’ve been with families who have lost their 16 and 17-year-old children, and minors who buy this drug through social media. The situation is dramatic,” explains Alejandra Andrade.
Synopsis – Fentanyl: A Deadly Epidemic (Part 1)
In the first part of the report, Alejandra Andrade delves into Skid Row, the epicenter of the epidemic and the most dangerous area in Los Angeles. Only the fire department and a few NGOs dare to enter this place, where more than 40,000 addicts roam the streets. In her journey through the area, the journalist gives names and hearts to the faces that tragedy has reduced to mere statistics, speaking with both addicts and traffickers. She also discusses this severe problem with the Pulitzer-nominated journalists from the prestigious San Francisco Chronicle who have thoroughly investigated it. With them, she discovers that synthetic fentanyl arrives from China to Mexico, where cartels use it to cut other drugs like heroin, and from there, it is sent to California with the help of illegal immigrants willing to take risks to cross the border.
The drama exposed by ‘Out of Range’ cameras in this work raises the unsettling question of whether this epidemic could cross borders and spread worldwide until it reaches our country, a question the program will attempt to answer in its upcoming episode.
