SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — According to the DEA, global drug traffickers are targeting our communities. It comes as the organization is warning the public about fentanyl that can be disguised as other medications.
The pills are often sold on the street or online.
Rainbow fentanyl is a deadly bright colored drug the DEA says is being directly marketed to kids, through a complex network run by drug cartels.
“I have a child that suffered from a substance abuse problem. It was many years ago but it really had an impact on me and disrupted our lives,” says retired drug court Judge Linda Davis, Exec. Director of Families Against Narcotics in Michigan.
Davis is empowering others to watch out for signs of trouble before it’s too late.
“People think they are using one thing and are really using something else. It’s very out of control,” says Davis.
She tells us it’s never safe to purchase drugs from anyone other than reputable pharmacies for prescription purposes.
“You don’t have to have an addiction issue to actually overdose or get poisoned by fentanyl,” says DEA Special Agent In Charge Orville Green.
Green tells us China provides ingredients that are transferred to labs in Mexico, and between May-September, they’ve seized millions of fake pills.
“4 million pills have come from Michigan and Ohio” adds Green.
Nationally, there have been more than 107,000 overdoses.
Now, parents are being urged to watch out for ads they say can use emojis and appear on Snapchat or other sites.
“With rainbow fentanyl, social media is fairly anonymous, if there’s an event they’ve got on that platform and advertise,” says Green.
Davis also telling us, “The cartels have planned this very well. It’s an attack on the United States and the numbers just keep growing.”
Bottom line, the DEA says if you aren’t prescribed a pill don’t take it. Especially when as many as 40% of fentanyl pills can be deadly in just one dose.
