One Pill Can Kill

DEA LAB TESTING REVEALS THAT

7 out of every 10 pills

CONTAIN A POTENTIALLY LETHAL DOSE OF FENTANYL

In 2023, DEA seized more than 80 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. The 2023 seizures are equivalent to more than 381 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

The rise in fentanyl in the U.S. has devastated families and communities. The 2024 fentanyl seizures represent over 136.6 million deadly doses.

What is fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a deadly synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic. Fentanyl is being pressed into fake pills or cut into heroin, cocaine, and other street drugs to drive addiction.

It only takes a very small dose of fentanyl—2 milligrams—to be lethal, such as the amount found on the tip of a pencil.

Why is fentanyl so dangerous?

DEA lab testing reveals that seven out of every ten fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. DEA officials report a dramatic rise in the number of fake pills containing at least 2 mg of fentanyl, which is considered a potentially lethal dose. Drug traffickers are using fake pills to exploit the opioid crisis and prescription drug misuse.

FENTANYL IS

50x

MORE POTENT THAN HEROIN

Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone. If you have a smartphone and a social media account, then a drug trafficker can find you. This also means they are finding your kids who have social media accounts.

15-year-old Kelcy Orr died after taking what she thought was a prescription pill, but it ended up being a deadly dose of fentanyl. Kelcy’s parents, Jim and Jenny Orr, found their daughter dead in her bedroom on December 23, 2023.

“I just held her. I kept saying, ‘Why?’ Right beside her was a little baggie with four blue pills. Her friend told us that she watched her take that pill the night before. She fell asleep while she was on the phone with her.”
Jenny Orr

Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Encourage open and honest communication
Explain what fentanyl is and why it is so dangerous
Stress not to take any pills that were not prescribed to you by a doctor
No pill purchased on social media is safe
Make sure they know fentanyl has been found in most illegal drugs
Create an “exit plan” to help your child know what to do if they’re pressured to take a pill or use drugs
For more tips on how to talk to your child about drugs, read Chapter 4 of Growing Up Drug-Free: A Parent’s Guide to Substance Use Prevention