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The Mafia may be keeping fentanyl out of Italy

204 points · 269 comments · runeks

  1. bilekas · · focus · HN ↗
    I'm no expert, but I've always thought that adding much more risk to the lives of your customers unnecessarily is not good for business.
    1. Someone · · focus · HN ↗
      In this market, a better high for less money will attract lots of customers, even if it is less healthy than the alternative.

      So, if you’re in the business of selling the somewhat healthier product, and one supplier starts to supply the otherwise superior product, that’s not good for business, either. You will lose customers.

      Now, do you accept that, saying “I won’t sell that”, do you fight to outlaw the product (will be hard given at you’re not selling healthy products, either), do you fight the suppliers of the new product (a gang war) or do you add the product to your inventory?

      There often isn’t a clear choice; each option has its pros and cons.

      1. bigfishrunning · · focus · HN ↗
        "less healthy" is a bit of an understatement; they're not selling cigarettes that will kill you in the long term (or even the medium or short term). Fentanyl will kill you the first time you're exposed to it.

        Increasing the potency of some drug with fentanyl is an interesting choice, because by the time the user *knows* how strong it is, there's some likelihood they're already dead.

        1. IAmBroom · · focus · HN ↗
          > Fentanyl will kill you the first time you're exposed to it.

          Fentanyl may in some cases kill you the first time you're exposed to it.

          The way you state it, there are zero fentanyl addicts in the world today.

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