WARNING: ONE PILL CAN KILL

Authentic oxycodone M30 tablets (top) vs. counterfeit oxycodone M30 tablets containing fentanyl (bottom).

The only safe prescription medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional that you get from a licensed pharmacist. All other pills are unsafe and potentially deadly.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram said, “This holiday season every parent, family member and friend should take a few minutes to share a simple message: One Pill Can Kill."

As we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, sadly, it is important to be reminded that our nation remains in the midst of an opioid crisis and that a disturbing trend has emerged: the selling and the use of counterfeit medication.

These pills, which are often sold online, look like legitimate prescription meds such as oxycodone or Adderall. In fact, people buy them believing that they are similar to the pills you would get from the doctor.

According to DEA lab testing: 2 out of every 5 pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.

The DEA recently issued a message to warn Americans about the dangers of counterfeit pills.

Most of these pills are produced in other countries; mainly China, Mexico, and India. However, an increasing number of pills laced with fentanyl are being produced in the U.S. These groups are harnessing social media platforms to bring drugs laced with fentanyl and fake prescription pills into American homes with one click on a smartphone.

The United States is facing unprecedented levels of fentanyl in our communities. This year alone, DEA has seized enough fentanyl to provide a lethal dose to every American. Much of this fentanyl is in the form of fake prescription pills. In 2021, DEA has seized a staggering 20.4 million fake prescription pills.

During the recent public safety surge, DEA and law enforcement partners seized more than 1,500 pounds of fentanyl and over eight million fake prescription pills. The seizures were directly linked to overdose deaths. At least 76 of the cases involved drug traffickers using social media applications, including Snapchat, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 32 cases have direct ties to the major Mexican drug networks that are mass-producing and distributing fentanyl.

“Mexican criminal drug networks are harnessing the perfect drug trafficking tool: social media applications that are available on every smartphone,” said . “They are using these platforms to flood our country with fentanyl. The ease with which drug dealers can operate on social media and other popular smartphone apps is fueling our Nation’s unprecedented overdose epidemic.”

DEA launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to inform the American public of the dangers of fake prescription pills.