Arizona: Rainbow Fentanyl Pills That Could Attract Children Seized During Smuggling Operation from Mexico

Customs and Border Protection seized thousands of rainbow-colored fentanyl pills from smugglers who were trying to sneak them into the United States from Mexico. Around 625,000 fentanyl pills were confiscated from five different inspections around the U.S.-Mexico border near the Nogales port of entry over the weekend.

Of those 625,000 fentanyl pills, around 12,000 of them were rainbow-colored. Another four pounds were in powder form. Fox News notes that these rainbow-colored pills could entice children.

Customs and Border Protection agents also seized around 34 pounds of methamphetamine and five pounds of marijuana.

Is Rainbow Fentanyl Being Marketed Towards Kids?

Michael Humphries, CBP director for Nogales, stated that these rainbow-colored pills could be used to target younger users. Many in law enforcement argued that the rainbow coloring might be made for them to look like kids' chewable vitamins and be marketed to kids.

However, this was refuted by Claire Zagorski, a program coordinator at the Pharmacy Addictions Research and Medicine Program at the University of Texas at Austin. Zagorski told Vice News that there is no evidence that drug dealers are deliberately targeting children with rainbow fentanyl. She also noted that children are unlikely to be able to buy drugs as they won't have the money to.

She said there isn't much money in targeting kids and added that it does not make any economic sense. Zagorski explained that the idea of drug dealers targeting kids for their sales is a very old myth that has been "washed and repeated over the decades."

Vice News also interviewed a fentanyl dealer, who told them that her customers prefer colored fentanyl and that dealers commonly use food coloring for branding purposes.

Authorities seem to know that this is true as well, as law enforcement has stated that color can be used to indicate batches, where the drug originated, and who produced the drug. It can also be used to differentiate fentanyl from other drugs. Finally, authorities have admitted that the coloration may all just be for marketing and not really for targeting kids.

Fentanyl Still Fueling the Opioid Crisis

Pharmaceutical fentanyl is usually prescribed to treat severe pain like what is being felt by cancer patients. However, the ones being sold in the streets are considered non-medical grade, with their levels of potency difficult to determine, according to USA Today.

Powdered fentanyl is typically more potent, and law enforcement is warning everybody that no matter its color, fentanyl is still deadly. As for rainbow fentanyl, there is still much unknown about the drug. While some are just fentanyl with food coloring, there are still fears that they can also be laced with other drugs.

That being said, overdoses around the U.S. are rising, especially from the more potent liquid and powdered fentanyl. Health officials have warned that it only takes 2 milligrams of fentanyl to cause an overdose. Last year alone, over 107,000 Americans died due to opioid overdose, and fentanyl is behind many of those deaths.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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