Federal officials issue warning about potentially deadly rainbow fentanyl shaped like colorful candy
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A deadly drug disguised as colorful candy. Federal drug officials are warning about a new trend emerging across the country. This is fentanyl designed to attract young people.
The synthetic opioid is 50 times more potent than heroin and is considered the deadliest drug threat facing the United States.
It looks like colorful candy, but this is actually rainbow fentanyl that's potentially deadly.
The Drug Enforcement Administration sent out an alert about an alarming trend.
"The game has changed in terms of pills and powder now because they are laced with fentanyl and getting the word out is so important because the users are unsuspecting. They don't know that they're taking a pill with fentanyl in it," said Fred Muench, with Partnership to End Addiction.
Federal drug officials say the so-called rainbow fentanyl in the form of pills and powder comes in bright colors, shapes and sizes.
This appears to be a new method from the drug cartels to appeal to young people.
This month alone, law enforcement has seized rainbow fentanyl in 18 states, part of a deadly trend.
More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, 66% of those deaths were related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
"Unfortunately, it's getting worse. We're seeing more and more fentanyl coming in, traditional opioids are falling off the radar because it's so much cheaper to use fentanyl," Muench said.
In 2021 the DEA launched an awareness campaign educating Americans about how just one pill can kill.
Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, have become the most common drugs associated with overdose deaths in the United States. Parents are being warned to watch out for any suspicious-looking candy or chalk.