Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials are warning the public of an alarming and
emerging trend of colorful fentanyl called “rainbow fentanyl” that is spreading
throughout the United States. This trend appears to be a new method used by
drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl to
children and young people. With
Halloween right around the corner, authorities are urging parents to talk with
their children before they head out for trick or treating or to holiday
parties.
Fentanyl is a powdered opioid that can be dyed in a range of colors. Rainbow
colored fentanyl comes in multiple forms – pills, powder, and blocks. It is designed
to make the drug more attractive to children because they can easily be
mistaken for candy or sidewalk chalk. Investigators say that the powder can
expand in the air and it could be deadly if inhaled. The blue powder is
believed to be most dangerous and more potent than fentanyl pills. But, every
color, shape, and size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous.
Fentanyl
remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. It is 50 times more
potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the
CDC, over 107,000 Americans have died of drug overdose in a single year in
2020-2021. Fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for Americans
aged 18-45 and the number of deaths is projected to double in the year ahead. Just
two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is
considered a lethal dose. There is no way to know how much fentanyl is
concentrated in a pill or powder.
Pills
meant to look like candy are a major concern, but prevention and education can
help. Parents should talk with their children often. Remind them to never take
a pill unless it is prescribed by a doctor and given by a parent. There is no
way to know how potent an illegal pill might be or what it might be laced with.
And with an active ingredient like fentanyl, it does not take much to kill.
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