Report: drug sellers use social media for fentanyl sales in Colorado

According to a new report that studied how social media platforms are used for the sale and distribution of fentanyl, there is room for improvement. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the report shows that the platforms have been uneven in the approach and effectiveness of the policy adopted to ban the promotion, advertisement, purchase, or selling of illicit substances. 

"As innovative online services and platforms weave their way into nearly every aspect of our lives, they also threaten to fuel a dangerous killer—the increasing ease of access to deadly substances, including fentanyl," Weiser said in a statement. "We are committed to confronting the painful and lethal challenges of fentanyl distribution in Colorado. That means we will use all tools at our disposal to address this crisis, including pressing the federal government to address the flow of such deadly drugs into our community and calling on social media companies to do more to restrict the distribution of this deadly substance through their platforms."

The report identifies a series of recommendations for potential policy and legislative interventions designed to combat the online illicit substance market. These include:

•           Social media platforms should adopt a uniform, robust set of best practices to prevent and respond to illicit drug activity.

•           Colorado should consider legislation requiring social media platforms to clearly disclose their policies on drug activity and cooperation with law enforcement and to publish regular transparency reports providing data on their enforcement activities.

•           Social media companies should enter a memorandum of understanding with the department, memorializing their commitment to implementing identified best practices for addressing illicit substances activity on their platforms, subject to penalties for failure to follow the terms of the memorandum.         

•           More resources should be provided to support existing law enforcement efforts to combat drug distribution online.

•           Increased resources for substance abuse treatment and harm reduction specifically tailored for teens and young adults.

•           There should be increased focus in expanding increasing internet and social media literacy for parents and caregivers.

•           A federal agency should be empowered to oversee social media platforms; and

•           Federal legislation requiring greater access to social media platforms' data transparency should be enacted.