What’s happening?
Fentanyl is flooding many communities. Some teens are purchasing what they think are Adderall, Percocet, Oxycodone and Xanax pills via social media; what they’re getting are fake pills made from the cheap, deadly and more potent synthetic drug called fentanyl. The drug is odorless, tasteless and colorless. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates that 5 in 10 fake pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.
These pills are not pharmaceutical-grade medications. Most of the time, fentanyl comes in the form of powder and then pressed into counterfeit pills which look exactly like tablets manufactured by legitimate pharmaceutical companies. The amount of fentanyl that it takes to overdose and die is equivalent to two grains of sand.
Drug dealers are targeting teens through advertisements on social media platforms like Snapchat and TikTok. Officials say that young people find pills especially appealing because they’re cheap, more socially acceptable and don’t have a tell-tale smell like alcohol or marijuana. In general, kids see pills as being “safe.”
Many teens experiment with pills to deal with stress and anxiety or to even study for a test. They are likely unaware of just how high-risk experimenting with pills has become, given the recent rise in counterfeit tablets. Kids think they are real and think they are safe because they believe they are prescription opioids or stimulants when in fact they can be counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.
Learn more: What’s Going On?
What is Fentanyl?
Pharmaceutical fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid. It’s only available with a prescription, and its manufacture and distribution are tightly controlled. It has been safely used in medical settings for over 50 years for pain management and as a surgical anesthetic. Illicit fentanyl is made in unregulated facilities and sold through drug trafficking networks. Because fentanyl is an odorless white powder, it can easily be mixed with any drug that is consumed in the form of a pill, powder, or crystals.
What do we know?
Fentanyl poisoning is the #1 killer for individuals ages 18-45. Fentanyl has changed the drug landscape. Every week in 2022, the equivalent of a high school classroom’s worth of students — an average of 22 adolescents — died of drug overdoses in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For teens, 84% of fatal overdoses involved fentanyl.
Learn more: Illicit Fentanyl PSA
Additional resources:
Fake & Fatal presentation
For Teens: Counterfeit Pills
Counterfeit Pills Fact Sheet
Fake Pills: What You Need to Know
How to Talk to My Kid About Fentanyl
Local support available: Prevention Hub of Mercer County
If you or someone you know is looking for help to overcome a substance use disorder, contact: ReachNJ.gov or 1-844-ReachNJ.