Messages about the unpredictable nature of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl cannot be repeated often enough. In 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized enough counterfeit pills to represent 380 million lethal doses. In 2025 alone, seizures equaled 196 million lethal doses - an unprecedented surge.
DEA labs tested 4-in-10 counterfeit pills seized and found lethal doses of fentanyl. Law enforcement and prevention professionals from Informed Families, the Florida Family Partnership, remind us that there are no safe-looking pills. Counterfeit pills can look exactly like real pharmaceuticals, such as Oxycontin, Xanax, and Adderall, but fake pills are powerful synthetic opioids produced in criminal labs. Potency of these pills can vary greatly - just 2mg of fentanyl, about the size of a few grains of table salt, can lead to fatal overdose.
Protecting our teens requires up-to-date awareness, ongoing communication, and practical action. The DEA offers a Science-Based Fact Sheet to arm parents with the facts to share with their children.
No comments:
Post a Comment