Why synthetic heroin could cause a deadly opioid crisis in Ireland

Since the Taliban began to clamp down on heroin production in Afghanistan, where most supplies of the drug originate, users are turning to a deadly man-made opioids, a new report has warned.

As Conor Lally explains on today’s In the News podcast, gardaí expect such drugs to hit the streets with catastrophic effects as the supplies of organic heroin dry up in the next year.

They are easy to make and hard to detect, and can be taken in many ways, from vaping to tablet form.

Could Ireland follow the US with a full-blown opioid crisis?