Progress in the fight against opioid addiction has been slow and difficult, particularly since the highly-potent opioid fentanyl arrived on the scene.
Rainbow fentanyl made to appeal to kids
Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck says one of his biggest concerns is the increased incidence of fentanyl being added to other drugs and new forms of fentanyl that are made to look like other drugs.
One of these new forms is the so-called “rainbow” fentanyl, which is made to appeal to young people. According to the federal DEA:
“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients, applied in a patch on the skin. Because of its powerful opioid properties, Fentanyl is also diverted for abuse. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency, or be disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually don’t know that they are purchasing fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths. Clandestinely-produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico.”
Listen to my full Inside the FLX conversation with Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck below.
Related: Fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with other street drugs
