15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills, two kilograms of fentanyl powder and 10 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in a drug bust by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department on Jan. 26.
The drug bust was announced on the OC Sheriff’s Department’s Twitter page along with updates in regards to the situation.
Rainbow fentanyl are brightly colored pills laced with fentanyl, a dangerous opioid, that imitate the appearance of candy. These pills primarily target younger individuals due to their colorful nature to drive early addiction.
An extremely potent painkiller, fentanyl is lethal in small doses; as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can lead to overdose and death. According to the DEA, around 126 people die a day due to opioid overdose, and fentanyl makes up the large majority of the cause.
If someone experiences a fentanyl overdose, naloxone is a medicine that can be given to a person to reverse a fentanyl overdose, find out more on how to treat fentanyl overdoses on the National Institute on Drug Abuse website.
High rates of fentanyl-related deaths has led Southern California law enforcement to announce a fentanyl awareness campaign entitled “Death in Disguise.” The campaign was announced in a public service statement on Jan. 26.
Officials in San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles also introduced a similar campaign to work with the Federal Government’s Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) “One Pill Can Kill” campaign.
The goal of the “Death in Disguise” campaign is to prioritize the “release of a new public service announcement,” and advocate for “an engagement program targeting schools and community groups across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.”
In partnership with the “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, Southern California’s DEA intends to “educate the public of the dangers of counterfeit pills and urge all Americans to take only medications prescribed by a medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”
Together, the Death in Disguise and One Pill Can Kill campaigns are pushing forward and agenda to collaborate closely together and educate the public about the dangers of fentanyl.
In a public service announcement on Jan. 26, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Martin Estrada, led the statement.
“Many of these fentanyl poisonings occur because someone thought they were buying a different type of drug, or pharmaceutical, and instead got something laced with fentanyl that resulted in death,” Estrada said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction make sure to contact The American Addiction Center for more information.
Sebastian Segovia is a City News Intern for winter 2023 quarter. He can be reached at sdsegovi@uci.edu.
