Rick Patrick
reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
In an alarmingly disturbing twist to the fentanyl drug crisis gripping the United States, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is warning citizens about brightly-colored pills laced with the deadly drug. According to a press release issued by the DEA, “[the] DEA and our law enforcement partners seized brightly-colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills in 18 states. Dubbed 'rainbow fentanyl' in the media, this trend appears to be a new method used by drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl made to look like candy to children and young people.”
“Rainbow fentanyl – fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes – is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States.”
It has been reported that different colors of this form of fentanyl represent different strengths. However, the DEA's testing does not show this to be the case. Any shape, size or color of fentanyl should be considered to be extremely dangerous. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroine and 100 times more potent than morphine. A mere two milligrams, an amount equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is considered enough to bring death. Without laboratory testing, there is no way of telling how much fentanyl may be concentrated in a pill or powder.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Drug poisonings are the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Fentanyl available in the United States is primarily supplied by two criminal drug networks, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Anyone who encounters suspected fentanyl, in any form, is reminded to not touch or handle the substance and to call 911 immediately.