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DEA warns that if you buy counterfeit painkillers, you could end up taking a lethal dose of fentanyl

By FOX 32 Digital Staff
Published 
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 32 Chicago

One pill can kill: DEA issues new safety warning

The number of DEA-seized counterfeit pills with fentanyl has jumped nearly 430 percent since 2019

The DEA is warning the public about an "alarming increase in the lethality and availability" of fake prescription pills that really contain fentanyl and meth.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said that drug networks are making mountains of fake prescription pills and marketing them as legitimate prescriptions. They are easy to buy and widely available – and might contain deadly doses of fentanyl.

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FOX 32's Dane Placko visited with the North Side family that's hoping lessons learned in their tragedy can prevent others.

Here are some alarming statistics about fake prescriptions:

  • More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills have been seized so far this year – is more than the last two years combined
  • Dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing at least two milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a deadly dose
  • Number of DEA-seized counterfeit pills with fentanyl has jumped nearly 430 percent since 2019
  • 40% of fake pills with fentanyl contain a deadly dose

The DEA said that the only safe place to buy prescription painkillers is from a pharmacy.

Last year, more than 93,000 Americans died of drug overdoses.

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