Accidental overdoses from fentanyl-laced pills more than double, concerning KCPD
Kansas City police voiced concern Tuesday about what it says is a rising number of accidental overdoses caused by fentanyl-laced pills.
From 2019 to 2020, police saw a nearly 149% increase in accidental overdoses from fentanyl, Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department, said during a press conference at police headquarters.
Though the latest data is not yet available, Drake said officers have seen an increase in accidental overdoses in individuals aged 15 to 24.
The uptick is related to the spread of blue pills, each with the letter “M” on the front and “30” on the back, which are nearly identical to many painkillers sold at pharmacies. The difference is those being sold illegally can contain a lethal amount of fentanyl.
The Star previously reported that individuals should avoid these so-called “M-30” pills are frequently counterfeited. It may not be possible to tell the difference between real and fake Oxycodone with the naked eye.
“If you think of the tip of a pencil, a couple grains of salt on there is all it takes to kill,” Drake said.
People often think they’re just taking an oxycodone pill, she said, but are putting themselves in danger since they do not know what the street drug has been mixed with.
Fentanyl was also seen laced in marijuana, xanax and adderall in recent cases, according to Drake. And she said many of the sales are happening over social media with the pills being shipped directly to people’s homes.
A large amount of the illegal sales and manufacturing are coming from outside of the country, Drake said.
In a January release by the St. Louis Drug Enforcement Agency, investigators reported seizing more fentanyl across Missouri, Kansas and southern Illinois in 2021 alone than over the last two years.
The drug is more than 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. And while the synthetic opioid can be prescribed legally for pain relief, in recent years it has emerged in illegal trafficking networks across the country and is considered a leading cause in drug overdoses.
In 2019, fentanyl was linked to more deaths than any other illegally-used drug, according to a Drug Enforcement Agency report.
In February 2021, Kansas City police said the number of teens dying from pills laced with fentanyl was increasing.
Drake encouraged parents to speak with their kids about not taking drugs that were not prescribed by a doctor.
“This is not just a Kansas City problem,” she said. “This is a nationwide problem.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 1:21 PM.
