Long before fentanyl devastated American communities, Estonia was already on the front lines — and eventually managed to beat the crisis back. But as The New York Times reports, the victory was short-lived. New synthetic drugs have since flooded the small Baltic nation, creating a crisis that some experts say is even more dangerous than the fentanyl epidemic it replaced. The Estonian experience serves as a cautionary tale for the United States and other nations now grappling with their own opioid emergencies: eliminating one substance doesn’t eliminate demand, and what fills the vacuum may be worse.
Walter Murrow
July 7, 2026
0
1
