One of the most hazardous medicines available in the US today is fentanyl. It takes extremely little of it in its pure form to result in an overdose or death. According to the CDC and the GOP Energy and Commerce website, in 2021, more than 60% of drug-related fatalities and 77% of teen overdoses were due to lethal chemicals. An important government official has called for action from authorities and social media corporations in response to this stunning statistic.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, the director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), stated that fentanyl had been given priority. It’s no longer “about meeting on the street,” according to Monaco, reports CBS. Instead, teens are connecting with vendors through technology, mainly social media. Even the DEA claims to employ an emoji code to designate particular items.
Another problem is that teenagers frequently aren’t aware that the goods they purchase can contain fentanyl. This caution is not brand-new. During a 2021 awareness campaign, Monaco brought attention to this problem by discussing the risks of fake drugs and how social media is used to sell them to teenagers.
