Triangle Bob knows that all too well.

Triangle Bob 對此深有體會。

Thankfully, scientists have discovered and made medicines that help alleviate pain.

值得慶幸的是，科學家們已經發現並製造出了有助於減輕疼痛的藥物。

Triangle Bob can now go back to his other job at the firework factory, thanks to these medicines.

多虧了這些藥物，Triangle Bob 現在可以回到他在煙火廠的另一份工作崗位上了。

These are analgesics and include over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen that reduce inflammation and prescription opioids like fentanyl that can change your brain's perception of pain.

這些是鎮痛藥，包括像乙醯胺酚這樣的非處方藥物，它們可以減少發炎，以及像芬太尼這樣的處方類阿片類藥物，它們可以改變你對疼痛的感知。

Let's focus on that last one.

讓我們重點討論最後一個。

I'm sure you've heard of fentanyl before.

我想你一定聽說過芬太尼。

It's been making big headlines.

它一直是頭條新聞。

Overdoses caused by this man-made opioid have skyrocketed in the last few years, leading many to wonder if it's such a pain to society, why does it exist in the first place?

過去幾年中，這種人造鴉片類藥物導致的過量吸毒人數激增，這讓許多人不禁要問，如果這種藥物給社會帶來了如此大的痛苦，那它為什麼還要存在呢？

Hey there, welcome to Life Noggin.

你好，歡迎來到 Life Noggin。

Fentanyl was created in 1960 by scientists looking for safer and more powerful alternatives to the available opioids, which at the time were morphine and meperidine.

芬太尼是科學家們在 1960 年創造的，當時科學家們正在尋找更安全、更強效的鴉片類藥物替代品，當時的阿片類藥物有嗎啡和美吡利啶。

The effects of these drugs took a while to kick in, and the team realized it was because they had trouble penetrating into the central nervous system.

研究小組發現，這些藥物需要一段時間才能發揮作用，這是因為它們難以滲透到中樞神經系統。

So they focused their efforts on developing a version of these opioids that could easily make its way in.

所以他們集中精力開發一種可以輕易進入人體的鴉片類藥物。

What they made was fentanyl, an opioid that's about 100 times more potent than morphine.

他們製造的是芬太尼，一種比嗎啡強 100 倍的鴉片類藥物。

It was also the fastest-acting and safest opioid at the time.

它也是當時起效最快、最安全的鴉片類藥物。

At first, fentanyl was administered through injection, but in the 1990s, less invasive delivery systems were created, like adhesive patches and lozenges.

起初，芬太尼是通過注射給藥的，但在 1990 年代，人們發明了創傷較小的給藥系統，如膠布和錠劑。

This made it very useful for chronic pain management, as well as for recovery from an injury or surgery during cancer treatment and end-of-life care.

這使得它在慢性疼痛治療、癌症治療期間的傷後恢復或手術後恢復以及臨終關懷方面非常有用。

Unfortunately, it also made it easy to abuse.

不幸的是，它也容易被濫用。

In addition to pain relief, opioids cause a feeling of euphoria or extreme happiness, but too much can cause problems with breathing, unconsciousness, and even death.

除了緩解疼痛，鴉片類藥物還會讓人產生興奮或極度快樂的感覺，但服用過多會導致呼吸困難、失去知覺，甚至死亡。

Like many other addictive drugs, as you take more opioids, your brain adapts and the sensitivity diminishes.

與許多其他成癮藥物一樣，當你服用更多鴉片類藥物時，你的大腦就會適應，敏感性就會降低。

This makes it harder to feel pleasure from anything but the opioid.

這樣，除了鴉片類藥物，就很難從其他任何東西中感受到快感。

And fentanyl was designed to be a powerful opioid.

而芬太尼被設計成一種強效鴉片類藥物。

In addition to being more potent than morphine, it's also 50 times more potent than heroin.

除了比嗎啡更強之外，它還比海洛因強 50 倍。

Fentanyl abuse takes many forms, from misusing prescriptions to illegally buying and selling prescriptions to illicitly made versions, which can be the most dangerous.

芬太尼的濫用有多種形式，從濫用處方到非法買賣處方，再到非法制造的芬太尼，而非法制造的芬太尼可能是最危險的。

These can be sold as powders, nasal sprays, or even pills that look like the real thing.

這些藥物可以粉末、鼻噴劑甚至藥丸的形式出售，看起來就像真的一樣。

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has found counterfeit pills containing more than twice the lethal dose of two milligrams, with 42% of the pills tested containing at least two milligrams of fentanyl.

美國緝毒署發現，假冒藥片中的芬太尼含量是致死劑量兩毫克的兩倍多，其中 42% 的藥片經檢測至少含有兩毫克芬太尼。

And since it's so potent, drug dealers are mixing fentanyl with other drugs as a cost-effective way to produce a high, adding to an already alarming number of fentanyl-related deaths.

由於芬太尼的藥效很強，毒販們將芬太尼與其他毒品混合在一起，作為產生興奮感的一種經濟有效的方法，這使得與芬太尼相關的死亡人數已經達到了驚人的地步。

In 2021, over 70,000 people in the United States overdosed on fentanyl, and the majority of overdoses involving heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepines were in combination with fentanyl.

2021 年，美國有 7 萬多人服用芬太尼過量，而涉及海洛因、古柯鹼、甲基苯丙胺和苯二氮卓類藥物的過量服用大多與芬太尼混合使用。

The scary thing is is that you can take a pill without knowing it contains fentanyl or how much fentanyl is in it.

可怕的是，你可以在不知道藥片中含有芬太尼或芬太尼含量的情況下服藥。

This is why it's so important to understand these dangers so that you can stay safe.

所以瞭解這些危險以確保安全非常重要。

In the United States, fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has a medical use, but also a high potential for abuse and is considered dangerous.

在美國，芬太尼被列為二級毒品，這意味著它有醫療用途，但也有很高的濫用可能性，被認為是危險的。

Let me know in the comments if you want me to do a video about the drug classification systems in the US.

如果你希望我製作一個關於美國藥物分類系統的影片，請在評論中告訴我。

It's actually really fascinating, and I think a lot of people are unfamiliar with it.

事實上，它真的很吸引人，我想很多人都不熟悉它。

Or tell me, is there another drug I should do an episode on next?

或者告訴我，下一集我是否應該介紹另一種藥物？

One last thing.

最後一件事，

Some people might be sharing personal stories and experiences related to fentanyl in the comments.

有些人可能會在評論中分享與芬太尼有關的個人故事和經歷。

I'm asking you to please not be judgmental and instead offer support, encouragement, and understanding.

我請求你們不要妄加評論，而是給予支持、鼓勵和理解。

Thank you for watching.

感謝你的收看。

Click here to watch another video we did on how bad vaping actually is for you, or click here to watch this mystery video.

點擊這裡觀看我們製作的另一個影片，瞭解吸食電子煙對人體究竟有多大危害，或者點擊這裡觀看這個神祕影片。

Not sure what YouTube is gonna recommend, honestly.

說實話，我不知道 YouTube 會推薦什麼。

Shout out to Lifespan, the team that powers Life Noggin.

向為 Life Noggin 提供支持的 Lifespan 團隊致敬。

Check them out down in the description.

請在說明欄中查看。

And as always, my name is Blocko.

和往常一樣，我的名字叫 Blocko。

This has been Life Noggin.

這裡是 Life Noggin。

Don't forget to keep on thinking.

不要忘記繼續思考。