America’s Growing Fentanyl Issue

The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning young Americans of Fentanyl hidden in Halloween candy. Fentanyl is a narcotic that treats severe pain, typically cancer patients. In recent years, America’s Fentanyl issue has grown immensely. According to Congressman Greg Murphy’s article, between April 2020 and April 2021, America surpassed 100,000 overdoses. Of the 100,000 overdoses, about 64,000 were Fentanyl related. Fentanyl is a cheaper alternative to Heroin, but can be much more powerful. Fentanyl is manufactured in China but makes its way into the U.S via the U.S-Mexico border. Many citizens are calling on President Biden to address this growing issue, due to his open border policies. 

This form of Fentanyl is also called “Rainbow Fentanyl” and the idea is to appeal to younger kids that go trick-or-treating. Rainbow Fentanyl is very similar looking to candy. It’s colorful, small, and can come in large amounts. Drug traffickers are disguising this drug as candies such as Nerds, Skittles, and Sweet Tarts. The D.E.A is warning parents to keep a close eye on their children’s Halloween candy collections this year. Fentanyl is sometimes laced with other drugs such as Cocaine or Heroin. 

This past week, two men were arrested in Phoenix on multiple drug charges. The two men were said to be in possession of over a million Fentanyl pills and running a drug trafficking business. Phoenix police say this was the largest Fentanyl bust in department history. One million Fentanyl pills is estimated to be worth around 15 to 20 million dollars, according to the D.E.A. Thousands of people a month die due to Fentanyl overdoses and other drugs laced with Fentanyl. The growing Fentanyl issue needs to come to a stop, because the death rate is only getting higher.