DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — In 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized millions of pounds of fentanyl — a drug the DEA is calling the deadliest drug threat in the country right now.
According to the DEA, more than 50.6 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized in 2022. The DEA Laboratory estimated that these seizures represented over 379 million potentially deadly doses.
In Ohio, Michigan and Northern Kentucky alone, more than 280,000 pounds of fentanyl-laced pills were seized, as well as 600 pounds of fentanyl powder.
The DEA reported that fentanyl, a man-made opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially deadly dose.
“Fentanyl in pill form is a deliberate attempt by drug cartels to make illicit drug use more appealing to Americans. We have seized fentanyl in just about every size, shape and color in both Michigan and Ohio,” said Orville O. Greene, DEA Detroit special agent in charge.
The DEA reported that more than double the amount of fentanyl-laced pills was seized. Six out of ten pills were said to contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.
“These fake pills are readily found on social media, yet no pharmaceutical pill bought on social media should be considered safe,” Greene said. “The only safe medications are ones prescribed directly to you by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”
For more information and data, click here.
