While students register for the spring break, the worries about fentanyl infection grow.
Ahmad Hussain, CEO of Defense Diagnostics Inc., has changed his personal tragedy into a mission, developing Defent, a portable fentanyyl detection device that is designed to prevent accidental poisoning.
His journey started with the loss of his 19-year-old cousin for fentanyl poisoning.
'He was not a stereotypical drug user – only experimenting like many young adults do. He got bad luck, “Ahmad shared in an exclusive interview with the DailyMail.com.
Seeing the destruction pushed him first -hand to make an accessible, user -friendly preventive tool.
Defent, priced at $ 10, is designed for use in every environment – from beaches to nightclubs.
It looks like a vape or lighter, it eliminates the need for precise measurements or extra equipment, making it more reliable than traditional test strips.
“Our goal was to make something easy to use, even for someone under the influence,” Ahmad explained.
While students register for the spring break, the worries about fentanyl infection grow.
Ahmad, CEO of Defense Diagnostics Inc., has changed personal tragedy into a mission, developing Defent, a portable fentanyyl detection device that is designed to prevent chance poisoning
The team spent two and a half years and 57 prototypes in perfecting the design, learning users testing to refine its functionality.
Since the launch, Defent has seen an exponential growth and the turnover doubled every month.
Now available on Amazon, the website of the company and in more than 100 shops-included smoke shops, about 7-elevens and petrol stations bereikt the product a wide audience.
The answer was overwhelming. “We have received countless e -mails and private messages from people who say:” I wish this was before – maybe my son would still be here, or my brother, or my boyfriend. “
Defent also contains an anonymous reporting tool, so that users can scan a QR code to report contaminated substances.
“Since December we have had 60 reports from Fentanyl-Regen substances in various cities,” he revealed, promoting a network of community consciousness.
Hussain emphasized that killing by fentanyl is often poisoning, not overdoses, because many victims unconsciously consume the medicine.
He recognized the limitations of Narcan – a reactionary tool – he wanted to create a preventive solution.
Defent resembles a vape or lighter and eliminates the need for precise measurements or extra equipment, making it more reliable than traditional test strips
The team spent two and a half years and 57 prototypes in perfecting the design, learning from user tests to refine functionality
While thousands of students come to Florida for the spring break, state officers have warned of party backs that are cut with 'fatal amounts of fentanyl'
Older test strips often gave false positives, so that trust in testing was eroded.
'For example, MDMA would cause a false result, making users skeptical about the entire process. That is why the approval of preventive measures was low, “Ahmad explained.
Defent solves this problem with more accurate detection.
Fentanyl is cheap, powerful and addictive, making it attractive for dealers who want to maximize the profit. Many counterfeit pills – continuing as Oxycontin, Xanax or Adderall – contain fentanyl, which means a fatal risk for unsuspecting users.
The cousin of Hussain, for example, had used real Oxycontin in the past. But as the recipe performance increased, counterfeit pills with Fentanyl flooded the market, which led to his death.
“He didn't have fentanyl tolerance – so it killed him,” Hussain explained.
Now his goal is to normalize drug tests before consumption.
“If it becomes standard to test fabrics before you buy, it will make it harder for dealers to sell something,” he said.
Now available on Amazon, the website of the company and in more than 100 stores, including smoke shops, about 7-elevens and petrol stations bereikt the product a wide audience
Police patrol a beach in Fort Lauderdale during the spring break on Tuesday 12 March 2024
Beaches are bars in Fort Lauderdale already buzzing for the two -week extravaganza
He also argues for government financing via dollars for opioid settlement to make fentanyyl detection tools more accessible.
To increase consciousness, the Hussain team spreads free samples and informs students at university campuses such as UCLA and USC.
“We don't try to sell – we lead education,” he emphasized.
His message is clear: “If you consume something, not from a pharmacy, you must first test it.”
Drug dealers flour Florida with drugs with fentanyl-ranking party during the spring break, warn state officials.
With the help of social media apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, they advertise substances such as Xanax, Cocaine and Ecstasy for thousands of students.
Legal enforcement fears that these drugs contain deadly fentanyl doses, whereby the DEA reports that 70 percent of the illegal pills can be deadly.
Some dealers work openly in busy party areas.
To combat overdoses, health groups are planning to distribute 5,000 Naloxon doses. Fort Lauderdale officials also offer free roof tests to prevent spiking.
The Attorney General of Florida has warned that dealers use social media to sell drugs, which are advertised using emoji code. But many party drugs are mixed with deadly fentanyl
In 2022, various West Point cadets overdose on Fentanyl-Regen Cocaine in Florida
A first responder in a Hazmat suit can be seen at the location of the mass overdose Fort Lauderdale in 2022
Attorney General Ashley Moody, Ashley Moody, is insisting on the spring breakers to stay alert and warns that Fentanyl is found in almost all illegal drugs.
A sheriff warns that buying drugs on the street can mean “taking 100 percent fentanyl.”
Non -profit Zorgbron distributes Naloxon and warning about Xylazine, another dangerous substance that is often mixed in medicines.
In 2022, overdose various football players in West Point Overdose Fentanyl-Regen Cocaine in Florida.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Gollan told Local 10 that two of the people who were an overdose were overdose because they tried to perform resuscitation on the first four victims of overdoses.
He said that the Opioid overdose-reinforcing drug Naloxon, which is sold under the Narcan brand name, was administered to breathe new life into the victims.
Despite the constant threat of fentanylposes, the deaths due to overdoses of the American drugs have fallen by almost 24 percent from September 2023 to last September, according to new CDC data.
Provisional figures from the National Vital Statistics System show around 87,000 deaths in the 12 months ending on September 2024, compared to around 114,000 the previous year, the lowest total since June 2020.
