With the Halloween season coming to a close, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) warned parents they should be on the lookout for “rainbow fentanyl,” multicolored pills that can be confused for candy with deadly results.
“While most of us associate rainbows with happiness, success, and a pot of gold at the end … drug cartels see things differently,” Brnovich said. “They have no respect for our values or culture – and they continue to flood our streets with deadly fentanyl pills that are now arriving in various colors and rainbow patterns. Protect yourselves and your children by not assuming that every colorful pill is candy this Halloween season. Do not eat any treats or take any medication unless they are properly packaged and from a source you trust. Fentanyl can kill. Please talk to your kids and be safe.”
Bronvich compared fentanyl to candy, like Smarties, which are small, round, and colorful. Border patrol agents have been seizing rainbow fentanyl for months and are discovering new variants, too. Phoenix police recently reported finding a new “speckled” fentanyl where the pills are multicolored. Brnovich urged the community to stay vigilant and warn children of the dangers this drug presents.
PARENTS BEWARE: These speckled fentanyl tablets were taken off the streets this week by #PHXPD.
This is the first time we have seen fentanyl tablets with this color scheme. pic.twitter.com/9libfiCYeR
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) October 26, 2022
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) advised that rainbow fentanyl can come in many shapes and sizes. While most prominently resembling pills, the administration has also encountered it in powder and a block form that resembles sidewalk chalk.
Another issue is fentanyl being mixed with other drugs. The DEA has reported dealers mixing fentanyl with heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine to increase its potency. Fentanyl is extremely dangerous, and just two milligrams, less than a pencil tip, can be lethal depending on the user’s tolerance and body type.
Additionally, ABC News reported that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office found fentanyl pills enclosed in licensed candy boxes, like Hershey’s Whoppers, SweeTARTS, and Skittles.
However, New York medical toxicologist Dr. Stephanie Widmer said this was likely to help smuggle the fentanyl over the southern border, not to trick children into taking the opioid. Joel Best, a criminal justice professor at the University of Delaware, said it is unlikely that the cartels are trying to sneak fentanyl into children’s Halloween candy. He said doing so would likely kill the child, which would go against the cartel’s goal of making a profit.
WoodTV shared the words of Dr. Nicholas Goeders, a pharmaceutical professor at Louisiana State University, who agreed that it is unlikely for children to get fentanyl mixed in with their candy. He said rainbow fentanyl is likely an attempt by the cartels to pass the illicit substance off as a legitimate product, not to target children. However, he did say it is still important for parents to check their kids’ candy on Halloween and that children should not eat any loose or unsealed candy.
For parents concerned about how to spot rainbow fentanyl, the DEA made a guide. Regular and rainbow fentanyl is made to look like prescription drugs like Oxycontin, Xanax, and Adderall. Any miscolored pill resembling one of these drugs should be considered a fake. Fentanyl consumption can cause confusion, drowsiness, nausea, clammy skin, and respiratory issues.
The DEA also warned that drug traffickers use social media to attract kids and conduct sales. The best way for parents to keep kids away from fentanyl is through open conversations and emphasizing never to take any medicine not prescribed by a doctor.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Rainbow Fentanyl” by Phoenix Police.
