DEA warns that 'One pill can kill'

WASHINGTON – The holiday season presents an opportunity to promote awareness of substance misuse and the widespread availability of dangerous substances. Many young adults are being exposed to illicit substances. Individuals experiencing isolation, loss, or loneliness during the holidays may turn to substances for relief. Check in with family and friends and have important conversations about counterfeit pills.

The U.S. overdose epidemic has reached a tragic level. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data for the most recent 12-month reporting period show that more than 100,000 people died due to drug overdoses primarily from fentanyl and methamphetamine. That is the equivalent of one death every five minutes due to an overdose. This year, the Drug Enforcement Administration has seized 15,000 pounds of fentanyl – a record amount – which is the equivalent of 440 million lethal doses.

Criminal drug networks are exploiting the U.S. opioid crisis by mass-producing fentanyl and fentanyl-laced pills which they’re distributing to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These deadly, fake pills are made and marketed to look like genuine, prescription medicine. DEA laboratory analysis has shown that four out of ten fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.

Fake pills are widely available. Criminal drug networks take advantage of the anonymity and accessibility social media platforms offer to push deadly drugs more quickly, easily, and cheaply than ever before. Drug traffickers are even using emojis as code when buying and selling deadly drugs on social media platforms.

Know the dangers of deadly drugs online:

• Never take medicine that wasn’t prescribed to you by your own doctor.

• Talk to your family and friends about the danger of buying drugs online.

• Spread the word that One Pill Can Kill.

Submitted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.