For DEA, counterfeit drugs are partly responsible for the tragic rise in overdoses, which killed more than 93,000 in the United States in 2020, an unprecedented level
In a rare warning, the authorities on Monday September 27 called on Americans not to buy drugs on the internet, stressing that they increasingly contain lethal doses of fentanyl or methamphetamine. “Pills bought outside of official pharmacies are illegal, dangerous and potentially fatal,” writes the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in its first public warning since 2015.
For her, counterfeit drugs are partly responsible for the tragic rise in overdoses, which killed more than 93,000 people in the United States in 2020, an unprecedented level. Made to look like licensed drugs, including legal opiates, they’re readily available on e-commerce platforms or social media, according to the DEA.
The agency reports a sharp increase in seizures: 9.5 million counterfeit pills have been intercepted by the police since January 1, more than in 2019 and 2020 combined. More seriously, she notes, the number of seized pills containing fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid inexpensive to manufacture, increased by 430% since 2019. Among them, two out of five pills contained more than 2 milligrams of this substance, which is considered a lethal dose.
Methamphetamine, a stimulant also very addictive, is also more and more often added to these products, notes the DEA. The vast majority of these fake drugs are made in Mexico, and China provides the raw materials needed to make fentanyl, the DEA added in a statement.
“Today, we are alerting the public to this danger so that they have the information they need to protect themselves,” said its manager, Anne Milgram, in this press release.
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