(WXYZ) — The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public after a sharp increase in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and meth.
The DEA reports that more than 9.5 million counterfeit pills have already been seized so far this year, more than the last two years combined.
According to a press release, the DEA said these fake pills are being mass produced by criminal drug networks and deceptively marketed as real medications.
“The United States is facing an unprecedented crisis of overdose deaths fueled by illegally manufactured fentanyl and methamphetamine,” said Anne Milgram, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, in a press release. “Counterfeit pills that contain these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are more lethal and more accessible than ever before. In fact, DEA lab analyses reveal that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. DEA is focusing resources on taking down the violent drug traffickers causing the greatest harm and posing the greatest threat to the safety and health of Americans. Today, we are alerting the public to this danger so that people have the information they need to protect themselves and their children.”
These fake pills are often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, according to the DEA.
They note that this alert does not apply to legitimate pharmaceutical medications prescribed by medical professionals and prepared by licensed pharmacists.
The DEA is urging all Americans to be vigilant and aware of the dangers of counterfeit pills, and to only take medications prescribed by a medical professional and distributed by a licensed pharmacist.
More information can be found here.
