Across Colombia, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States, cocaine and synthetic opioids are reshaping communities in very different ways. This investigation follows coca production, international trafficking, youth recruitment, gang violence, drug markets, fentanyl, and xylazine while examining how organized crime and addiction intersect. Through law enforcement, community organizations, people with lived experience, and public health workers, the episode connects the global cocaine trade with European gang networks and the overdose crisis in North America, as well as prevention, treatment, and harm-reduction efforts.
As the unregulated drug supply becomes increasingly unpredictable, new combinations of synthetic substances are making overdoses more difficult to prevent and treat. This documentary investigates the emergence of "benzo dope" and "tranq"—street drugs containing fentanyl mixed with benzodiazepines or xylazine—and examines the devastating impact these combinations are having on people, families, healthcare providers, and frontline outreach workers. Through firsthand accounts and expert perspectives, this resource explores how a rapidly changing drug supply is reshaping the overdose crisis and reinforcing the importance of harm reduction, education, and timely access to care.
