On Aug. 30, theDrug Enforcement Administrationwarned Americas parents about the emerging trend of colored fentanyl pills.
But…is it?
Taken together, these statements are terrifyingwhat could be worse than drug dealers putting fentanyl in our kids candy?
Thankfully, these fears are mostly bullshit.
The truth about fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid agonist100 times more potent than morphine.
It was was developed in the early 1960s and mainly prescribed as pain medication for cancer patients.
Illicit use of the substance didnt really take off until the 2000s.
Why are there so many myths about fentanyl?
According to Ehrlichman, the Nixon administration used drug policy to strike at its political enemies.
Did we know we were lying about the drugs?
Of course we did.
With that said, lets unpack some common fentanyl myths.
Children dont have any money, so why would drug dealers want to get them hooked on anything?
Advising drug users to keep their drugs away from children would have been more honest and useful.
Dealers have been coloring fentanyl for years as a marketing tactic or a way of informing users of pill-potency.
Different colors would be different strengths, ex-userBrad Yackey explained.
Youd make a run at get the good stuff, or the most potent you could get.
According to some harm reduction experts, the colors are actually a good thing.
Fentanyl isnt absorbed [through tough], clinical toxicologist Joshua Radke toldEmergency Medical News.
Getting high or overdosing through breathing in fentanyl is equally unlikely, Radke said.
Real overdose victims slowly stop breathing until they diethey dont freak out.
None of thisdissuades politiciansfrom warning us about it though.
