U.S. DEA laboratory testing reveals that 6 out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is alerting the public of a sharp nationwide increase in the lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills.

The U.S. DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from U.S. DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.

Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. According to the CDC, 107,622 Americans died of drug poisoning in 2021, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

In Franklin County, there were 12 suspected and confirmed drug overdose related deaths between January and September, according to the Maine Monthly Overdose report, which gathers information from different agencies across the state to track drug overdoses. This is an increase from eight in 2021, five in 2020, and five in 2019.

Across the state, 79% of recorded overdose deaths in 2022 have involved fentanyl, alone or in combination with other drugs.

“More than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills being trafficked in communities across the country now contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This marks a dramatic increase – from four out of ten to six out of ten – in the number of pills that can kill,” said U.S. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “These pills are being mass-produced by the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel in Mexico. Never take a pill that wasn’t prescribed directly to you. Never take a pill from a friend. Never take a pill bought on social media. Just one pill is dangerous and one pill can kill.”

Last year, the U.S. DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on the widespread drug trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills in American communities. These pills are made to look identical to real prescription medications, including OxyContin®, Percocet®, and Xanax®, and they are often deadly.

The OPTIONS program in Maine offers resources, training, and free Naloxone to members of the community.

Naxolone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is an opioid antagonist and can restore breathing and circulatory functions in the event of an overdose. Within the brain are opioid receptors; when too much of an opioid is introduced to the body, those receptors depress life functions such as breathing and heart rate, potentially leading to death.

Naxolone acts on those same receptors, even through it’s not an opioid. It ‘kicks out’ the opioid from the receptors, helping to restore breathing and heart rate. Because the opioid remains in the body and can bond to the receptors after the naloxone wears off, it is a short-time treatment and anyone experiencing an overdose still requires prompt medical care. Naloxone works whether the overdose was a prescribed medication or not, and if other drugs were mixed with an opioid, such as fentanyl-laced drugs. Naloxone also works on children; over 90% of pediatric opioid poisonings occur in the child’s home.

Visit KnowYourOptions.me for more information. In the event of an emergency, call 911.

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