It's no secret that Fentanyl is driving overdose deaths in America and more than 107,000 Americans suffered overdose fatalities last year. That number will be bigger when the 2022 tally is done given post-COVID mental health challenges and the widespread distribution of counterfeit Fentanyl.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued several urgent poisoning alerts and recently warned that of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills they recently analyzed, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.
This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.
“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,” said Administrator Anne Milgram.
Last year, the DEA issued a Public Safety Alert on the widespread drug trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills in American communities. These pills are largely made by two Mexican drug cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, to look identical to real prescription medications, including OxyContin®, Percocet®, and Xanax®, and they are often deadly. In 2021, the DEA seized more than 20.4 million fake prescription pills. Earlier this year, the DEA conducted a nationwide operational surge to target the trafficking of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and, in just over three months, seized 10.2 million fake pills in all 50 states.
Through its One Pill Can Kill campaign, the DEA is working to alert the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills.
That's great. But in the midst of an unprecedented public health emergency, why is Amazon still selling items (labeled garlic presses) that can be used to make counterfeit pills along with - get this - blue, pink and yellow powder designed to make pills that look like commonly misused prescription medications ?
It's wrong and as a mass market retailer, Amazon should immediately suspend the sale of these products.
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