November 5, 2023 - WASHINGTON – Last week, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9) was raising the alarm on new data from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) showing a terrifying increase in deadly fentanyl-laced pills. Drug dealers are selling counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl online, specifically targeting kids on the social media platform Snapchat. New data shows a dramatic rise in how deadly these counterfeit pills are – of all the pills seized by the DEA so far this year, 7 in 10 contain deadly doses of fentanyl.  

Last year, 6 in 10 pills contained enough fentanyl to kill a person. The year before only 4 in 10 had that high amount of fentanyl. This dramatic rise means that anyone buying counterfeit pills online, especially children, are even more likely to die if they take just a single fake pill. 

"As a dad, this is incredibly scary. Drug dealers are targeting our kids online with pills that could literally kill them after one dosage. It’s horrifying,” said Rep. Harder. “And with this new data, we now know the problem is getting even more deadly – 70% of these counterfeit pills have enough fentanyl to kill. We must hold social media companies accountable, bring these evil drug dealers to justice, and do everything we can to protect our kids.”

Rep. Harder has been sounding the alarm on these deadly counterfeit pills being sold to kids over social media. Raising awareness for parents and making sure kids know the risks is crucial to save lives. Watch Rep. Harder’s recent public service announcement about these deadly fentanyl-laced pills here.
Source: Representative Josh Harder   Photo credit: DEA file photo