Rainbow' fentanyl

2022 - 9 - 20

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Minnesota Public Radio News"

Drug Task Force agents find 'rainbow' fentanyl (Minnesota Public Radio News)

Rainbow” fentanyl was found for the first time in southern Minnesota during an execution of a search warrant last week.

He said that it’s unknown currently if there’s a difference in concentration of fentanyl for the rainbow pills. “We just want to let them know that ‘hey, it’s here.’ The taskforce found some rainbow fentanyl pills, which means, if we found three of them, then there’s got to be tons more in the area and the state.” Numbers for fentanyl seized in southern Minnesota have increased. All the fentanyl pills that were seized before were blue. “When we talk to the public about how these blue pills are so dangerous and to stay away from these blue pills, now they’re coming in all kinds of different colors,” said Lt. Friday’s seizure was the first time task force agents encountered the brightly colored pills that Drug Enforcement Administration officials say can be mistaken for candy.

DEA warns of 'rainbow fentanyl' used to target young children (FOX 7 Austin)

The DEA has issued alerts after recent suspected overdoses and deaths involving fentanyl in children in Hays County.

According to the DEA, the rainbow colors could lead children to mistake them for candy and make them more appealing to young people. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid approved for treating severe pain with a prescription. [dshs.texas.gov/estb/poison/overdose](http://dshs.texas.gov/estb/poison/overdose). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Texas, the incidence of fentanyl-related deaths has climbed sharply, with 214 deaths attributed to fentanyl in 2018 and 1,672 fentanyl-related deaths in 2021 according to provisional data. It takes much less for someone, including children, to overdose or die. [Fentanyl-related overdose deaths prompt agencies to form task force](https://www.fox7austin.com/news/fentanyl-related-overdose-deaths-hays-county) [Fourth Hays CISD student dies from fentanyl overdose, autopsy reports](https://www.fox7austin.com/news/hays-cisd-student-fentanyl-overdose) [Fentanyl a 'crisis' in Hays County due to rising number of overdoses, officials say](https://www.fox7austin.com/news/fentanyl-crisis-overdoses-rising-hays-county-texas)

BCA: 'Rainbow' fentanyl in Mankato the first found in the state (KEYC)

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirmed that 'rainbow' fentanyl pills found in Mankato last week were the first ever seized in Minnesota.

“They’re bright colors and they might not look as dangerous. “These pills are extremely dangerous no matter what color they are, and they can easily kill several people with just one pill,” Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force Lt. “They were at his apartment.

EARLY YEARS: Roanoke Valley authorities warning parents and ... (WDBJ7)

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Colorful tablets being distributed by drug traffickers might look like candy, but they're actually known as “rainbow fentanyl.”.

“What’s dangerous about that now is all these things are pressed with fentanyl. I just need something, and they can easily get it through Snapchat,” says Hans. We’re trying to fight a forest fire with a fire extinguisher. “It is very normal if things are going on in your life, that you think you need a pill to fix, when you really need a conversation,” says Hans. “We talk about it in law enforcement all the time. “If you get a pill off the street now, you can almost bet -- 99 percent sure it’s going to be fentanyl,” says Crowder.

What Is Rainbow Fentanyl? DEA Warns of Dangerous Pills That ... (SELF)

Synthetic opioid fentanyl is being packaged to resemble candy. Dubbed “rainbow” fentanyl, the pills are being used to attract young people.

In May, the deaths of two Ohio State University students prompted the school to [warn of fentanyl-laced Adderall](https://www.self.com/story/ohio-state-university-student-deaths-fentanyl), as SELF previously reported. The director of Penn State’s Health Promotion and Wellness program emphasized this in the university’s recent warning to students: “Unless a drug is prescribed by a licensed medical professional and dispensed by a legitimate pharmacy, you can’t know if it’s fake or legitimate.” There’s no way to tell what, exactly, is in a drug that has not been recommended to you by a health care provider. Because of this, it’s crucial to recognize the [Pennsylvania State University](https://www.psu.edu/news/student-affairs/story/penn-state-students-cautioned-brightly-colored-rainbow-fentanyl/) and [some school districts in Florida](https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2022/09/14/florida-schools-law-enforcement-warn-candy-colored-rainbow-fentanyl/), are now warning students and their families about the risks of rainbow fentanyl. [up to 100 times](https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html) more potent than morphine—may be hiding in plain sight.

Illinois Officials Warn of Colorful 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Reported in 18 ... (NBC Chicago)

The fentanyl has been found by law enforcement officials in 18 different states, with the vibrantly colored synthetic opioid appearing in the form of pills, ...

At the beginning of this month, Illinois health officials considered the alert to be at a "low" level and did not confirm at the time if any of the rainbow-colored fentanyl had been seized in the state. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids contributed to two-thirds of America's 107,622 drug overdose deaths in 2021. Law enforcement officials speculate that this is a tactic to market the substance to children and teens.