How do we compare?
Before even beginning to compare Sinthe to other drug situations in the world, there are several assumptions that need to be made about the Sinthe situation. These may or may not be accurate, but all assumptions are listed below.
- People in Teyvat, the continent on which Genshin Impact takes place, behave somewhat according to human biology.
- “Water from the Primordial Sea,” a substance said to originate naturally from the continent's waters, is analogous to the active ingredient of Sinthe.
- The story emphasizes being from Fontaine as criteria, and so susceptibility to Water from the Primordial Sea (and therefore, developing a substance use disorder from Sinthe) is strongly hereditary. The National Institute on Drug Abuse supports this, saying that genetics and epigenetics play an important role in the risk for developing substance use disorders, according to a DrugFacts publication.
- The act of dissolving from contact with Water from the Primordial Sea is analogous to the lethal dosage.
There are several points of comparison that I'd like to share between the drug of abuse in the given crisis and Sinthe. Some of these criteria are listed below.
- The drug must be predominately used recreationally.
- The drug is synthesized domestically in clandestine laboratories.
- The drug crisis event is fueled by developing substance use disorders (addictions) in a population.