Copyright novinite
Bulgaria has witnessed a dramatic surge in deaths linked to opioids, predominantly fentanyl, over the past year, with figures reported to be ten times higher than in previous years, according to the Ministry of Health. Yulia Georgieva, manager of Sofia’s "Pink House," a day center for people struggling with opioid addiction, raised the alarm in a Facebook post. Georgieva detailed that in the last 18 months alone, 44 individuals under the care of the "Pink House" have died. “We have also lost at least as many people whom we work with in the field, tracked anonymously,” she noted, clarifying that their coding system ensures no double counting between the two groups. For comparison, from 2021 to 2023, the center recorded just 13 deaths. The true scope of the crisis, Georgieva stressed, is likely far larger, due to systemic gaps in reporting. In Bulgaria, autopsies are typically not conducted on deaths without apparent causes unless requested and financed by relatives. Most individuals served by addiction support programs are therefore not formally examined postmortem, and fatalities from overdoses are often misclassified as pulmonary failure or similar causes. The lack of effective state response is another concern. The national Strategy for Combating Drugs, intended to launch at the start of 2025, has remained unapproved for a year. “Without deliberate, coordinated action, this situation will only worsen,” Georgieva said, criticizing the state for symbolic initiatives while ignoring mounting fatalities. Authorities have emphasized the extreme danger of fentanyl. Chief Inspector Alexander Netsov of Sofia’s Criminal Police highlighted that the substance is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine or heroin, with even minimal exposure proving lethal, particularly for non-addicts. Fentanyl is often sold in urban neighborhoods, frequently mixed with other drugs to maximize profit. Cases have also emerged in which cocaine, marketed as “pure,” contained fentanyl, reportedly to accelerate addiction among users.
