By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FIFTEEN fentanyl-related deaths have been recorded in the country over the past two years, according to Dr David Allen, a renowned Bahamian psychiatrist who has repeatedly warned that the drug could have a devastating impact on Bahamian society.

Dr Allen described fentanyl use as a “hidden epidemic” and noted that Princess Margaret Hospital does not routinely test for the substance, meaning such deaths are often initially classified as “suspicious” until the Royal Bahamas Police Force conducts an investigation and toxicology reports confirm traces of the drug.

“We cannot afford to have a fentanyl epidemic,” Dr Allen said yesterday during the country’s first National Forum on the Primary Prevention of Violence at Baha Mar. “You have three minutes after ingestion, and the kid dies. It could destroy our very civilisation.” 

He noted that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid stronger than heroin and cocaine. The drug is available in liquid, powdered, and pill forms. He noted the prevalence of fentanyl has increased in recent years, with some cases going undetected.

Fentanyl’s effects can be fatal, Dr Allen said, noting that users experience euphoria followed by sadness and deep sleep. “They laugh, and then they drop into sadness, they drop into sleep, and they snore,” he said. “They’re not snoring — they are dying. 

Dr Allen also highlighted challenges in accessing NARCAN (naloxone), a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses. He noted that the injectable form of NARCAN is more commonly available in the country.

“Beware of fentanyl addiction. We’re up to 15 deaths,” Dr Allen stressed.

In January 2024, police reported that two people in Grand Bahama died with fentanyl in their system. In July 2023, Chief Superintendent Earl Thompson, director of the police force’s Scientific Support Services, revealed that since 2018, six deaths had been attributed to illicit fentanyl, including two Bahamians.

Dr Allen has also raised concerns about increasing crime trends, describing them as growing worse and more violent, with little regard for innocent lives.

He pointed to incidents such as a father being shot while holding his child and a barbershop becoming the target of a mass shooting with mothers and children inside.

He stressed that families continue to suffer from trauma, grief, and pain as a result of these tragedies.