DEA warns about fentanyl-laced black market pain medications amid spike in overdoses
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warned the public Monday of an increase in black market painkillers that are laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine.
“The United States is facing an unprecedented crisis of overdose deaths fueled by illegally manufactured fentanyl and methamphetamine,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement.
“Counterfeit pills that contain these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are more lethal and more accessible than ever before,” Milgram continued. “In fact, DEA lab analyses reveal that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.”
The agency said the fake pills are easily available on social media platforms and e-commerce websites and are designed to look like legitimate prescription drugs. Authorities seized more than 9.5 million fake pills so far this year.
