Beware Rainbow Fentanyl, CA Dept. Of Health Says
California health officials have issued an alert to county offices of education, district superintendents, and charter school administrators across the state over the proliferation of multicolored fentanyl pills that resemble candy.
“…Brightly-colored fentanyl (referred to as rainbow fentanyl) has been identified as a new trend according to the United States (U.S.) Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA),” State Public Heslth Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, wrote. “Rainbow fentanyl can be found in many forms, including pills, powder, and blocks that can resemble sidewalk chalk or candy. Any pill (regardless of its color, shape, or size) that does not come from a health care provider or pharmacist can contain fentanyl and can be deadly.”
The drugs are nicknamed “Sweet Tarts” or “Skittles” and are specifically marketed by drug cartels to children as young as middle-school age.
“This is another tactic that they’re using to get more fentanyl to more people,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram explained. “The more drugs they can sell, the more addiction they drive, the more profit they make.”
One step schools can take is to stock and train staff on the use of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal drug. The state’s largest district, LA Unified, plans to do just that following the recent deaths of nine students.
Image Credit: U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
