The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is fighting back against millions of dollars worth of fentanyl making its way into the United States and Ohio.
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The Detroit Field Division of the DEA spoke with News Center 7 Anchor Nick Foley to break down the agency’s plan to combat the continuing large influx of illicit drugs.
“Fake pills are still the priority for DEA in whole as well as here in central and southern Ohio,” Detroit Field Division of the DEA’s Public Information Officer, Brian McNeal, informed.
24-hour labs in Mexico are churning out fentanyl at an alarming pace and sending it into the United States via Interstate 75, which goes through the Miami Valley.
“These drug traffickers and organizations are using the same routes they used when they were trafficking cocaine and heroin and marijuana. So, the routes and the means have stayed the same, but the drug is far more deadly,” McNeal stated.
The drugs that are imported in may look like Xanax, Percocet, Oxycodone, or other popular opioids. They may even look like vitamins. However, the one constant in all these fake pills is their potency.
More than 60 percent of the pills contain a deadly amount of fentanyl, Foley reported.
“Imagine if we bought French fries at a fast food restaurant and I told you that six of these 10 fries will kill you. You probably aren’t going to take those fries,” McNeal said. “Unfortunately, the same logic does not apply to people, to vulnerable populations that have addiction issues.”
The best way to remain vigilant is to never accept a pill from anyone that is not your physician or licensed pharmacist, McNeal continued.
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